


In a Crowd of Thousands

by syzygy_mellifluous



Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: Adventure, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Inspired by Anastasia (1997 & Broadway), Memory Loss, Non-Graphic Violence, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:42:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 27,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28071897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/syzygy_mellifluous/pseuds/syzygy_mellifluous
Summary: When rumors start to swirl that the missing princess is actually alive, two con men convince a naive amnesiac to impersonate the young royal in a plot to deceive the Queen of Arendelle and collect the reward money. Though, their plans are disrupted when Anna and Kristoff begin to fall in love.“In a crowd of thousands, I’d find you again.”
Relationships: Anna/Kristoff (Disney)
Comments: 118
Kudos: 55





	1. A Rumor in the Southern Isles

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone!!! This is called “I saw Anastasia on Broadway ONCE 3 years ago this month and decided to write an AU based off of it because I have no self control.” Did I think this through? Absolutely not. Am I insane? Yes. The title comes from one of the songs from the show, when Anya and Dmitry realize that they’ve met once before - and that Anya is actually Anastasia. This probably isn’t going to be a long fic - I’m estimating around 9 or 10 chapters. I’m going to do my best to recall the plot of the show via Wikipedia and a copy of the script on the Internet because I refuse to watch bootlegs (and because it's based off the stage adaption, I'm not going to watch the movie), and there will probably be some obvious differences. I hope you enjoy!!!

“Why can’t you come with us to the Southern Isles?” Anna pouted.

“I have to stay here for my lessons,” Elsa, her older sister, answered with a frown. 

“Shouldn’t I stay, too, then? My lessons are just as important as yours.”

Elsa giggled. “I’m next in line for the throne and apparently that means I have to stay here and learn instead of going on trips.”

“But what if you decide that you don’t want to be the queen and I have to do it? I think I should stay.”

“You should go,” Elsa insisted. “You’re going to have a lot of fun with Mama and Papa. I’ll be bored out of my mind here, and I’m sure when you come back you’ll have lots of wonderful stories to tell.”

Anna sighed. “You’re right. But maybe you could try to sneak away...”

Elsa cocked her head, smiling knowingly. “I’ll meet you right back here in Arendelle.” 

“Okay,” Anna relented, pulling her older sister in for a hug. “I’ll see you next month.”

Little did they know, Anna and their parents would never make it home. They’d be attacked in their hotel room in the Southern Isles; the King and Queen were confirmed to be dead and Anna was missing - but presumed to be dead. 

* * *

In the three years since the war had begun, the Southern Isles had become a destitute land where the rich benefited from the war, and the poor suffered. The worst offenders in the land were the members of the royal family. The King and his thirteen sons led the opposition against Arendelle’s troops - who sought revenge for the deaths of the King and Queen of Arendelle, and the presumed death of the young Princess on their land. The youngest son, Hans, was a high-ranking military officer and was often used as a figurehead for public addresses. 

For Kristoff and his associate, Sven, the only way to earn a living was to con the rich out of their money or jewelry whenever the opportunity arose. They did what they could to help those around them, but times were tough and food was scarce. Leaving their home, Arendelle, before the war began hadn’t been ideal, but they found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time as travel shut down between the two nations. Three years on, it was still difficult to secure passage from the Southern Isles to Arendelle, so they stood where they were and did their best to fend for themselves. Despite this, they had quite a reputation amongst the locals - they were the two well-dressed men you’d seek out if you needed to travel between the lands.

On this particular day, Kristoff and Sven were in the center of the city. There had been rumors swirling that the Princess of Arendelle was alive, and that a reward was being offered for her safe return. They were on the hunt for any and all information they could gather for such a wild rumor, but their plans were disrupted when Prince Hans had emerged for his daily speech - which was often riddled with propaganda in support of the Southern Isles’ military efforts and monarchy. 

“People of the Southern Isles!” Hans boomed, catching the attention of the people in the square. “We are on the path to revolution! Our journey has been a difficult one, but we are on our way to pushing the Arendellian troops away from our land! We _will_ be victorious in our endeavors, for the Southern Isles is a prosperous and wonderful land!”

The crowd that had grown reacted quite negatively, booing and hissing at the young royal. While no one supported the war, the citizens of the Southern Isles tended to support Arendelle as opposed to the leaders of their home nation. It had been long speculated that the monarchy was responsible for deaths of the King, Queen, and Princess of Arendelle. And to top it all of, Hans was blatantly lying to the people who were supposed to trust him.

“You know, I really hate that guy,” Kristoff muttered to Sven, as they walked away from the large gathering.

“You could say that again,” Sven agreed. “I didn’t realize that destitution and insolvency were the markers for a great nation.”

“You can’t tell me that he stood up on his soapbox and _didn’t_ see all of the impoverished people surrounding him.”

“The rich wear blinders.” The two men walked in silence for a few moments, and when they were finally alone, Sven continued by asking, “So, what do you think about the rumors regarding Princess Anna?”

Kristoff had seen the princess once during a parade as a young child - the event was permanently seared into his memory. He was eleven years old at the time; the elder Princess, Elsa, was the same age as him, and the younger Princess, Anna, was eight. He’d always felt an admiration for the royal family despite his own tragic backstory. 

What he’d never shared with Sven or anyone, was that on that day he’d called out to the younger Princess, and had been awarded a smile from her in return. He was smitten with her, but had never had the opportunity to see her publicly again. Seven years later, she was presumed to be dead. Another three years later, she was rumored to be alive.

“I don’t know,” he answered, finally. 

“I have a brilliant idea - if you’re interested, that is.”

“You know I’m always interested,” Kristoff chuckled.

“So, Queen Elsa is rumored to be offering a reward if Princess Anna is safely returned to Arendelle,” Sven explained. “Suppose we find a young woman who matches the description of Princess Anna, and we teach her all the wonderful, princess-y things she needs to know and then we return her safely to the Queen’s arms and collect the reward.”

Kristoff cocked his head. “You really think that will work? And what do _you_ know about being a princess?”

“You’d be surprised. I happen to know quite a bit about the history of Arendelle.”

“Yeah, so do I. So does literally everyone who lives there. That doesn’t mean anything.”

“I also have a connection to one of the Queen’s dearest friends. I can get the Queen to meet our young imposter - and if we do a convincing enough job, think of the revelry and the honors bestowed to us.”

“Think of how quickly we’d be beheaded if we’re caught.”

Sven rolled his eyes. “Trust me, we aren’t going to travel to Arendelle with just any young girl from the Southern Isles. She has to look the part and act the part. We’ll have to hold auditions.”

“Are you serious?” Kristoff asked incredulously.

“Do I look like I’m kidding?”

With a sigh, Kristoff continued. “How exactly do you plan to inform the young women in this city of our plans? Surely, His Royal Highness, Prince of Douchebags would catch on rather quickly and have us executed.”

Sven couldn’t help but laugh at Kristoff’s moniker for Hans. “That’s a good one. I’m going to use it from now on.”

“Seriously, though, how do you plan to evade Hans?”

“Don’t worry, that won’t be a problem.”

Over the course of the next few days, the conniving men were able to hold “auditions” for the role of Princess Anna in secret. Young, impoverished women from the area flocked to their secret meeting area - an abandoned theatre - in the hopes that they’d be selected for their scheme. However, none of them quite met the criteria; they didn’t have the right hair color or eye color, or they weren’t able to convincingly act the part. 

“We’re never going to find a girl in this city who’ll be able to impersonate the princess,” Kristoff remarked with a head shake as a group of three disappointed women exited the theatre they were hiding out in. 

“Sure we are, we just have to keep trying.”

“I really don’t think this is going to work. Princess Anna had such a distinct look. And she didn’t disappear _that_ long ago.”

“You don’t think three years is a long time?”

“I think her sister would be able to recognize her regardless of how much time had passed.”

“Mm, I disagree.”

“Excuse me?” A small voice from behind them called, interrupting their conversation.

Kristoff turned around, and came face-to-face with a young woman. Her coat was tattered but her long, black skirt was in pristine condition. Her brown boots were filthy, and her hands were clad in fingerless gloves, and she was clutching a broom in her left one. Her braided red hair was unkempt, and her eyes were a gorgeous blue color - but despite her disheveled appearance, she happened to bear a striking resemblance to the princess. Or at least, his memory of the princess. “Can I help you?”

“I’m looking for someone called Kristoff.”

“That’s me. Are you here to audition?”

She looked rather confused at his suggestion. “I’m sorry?”

“What do you want?”

“Well, you see, I’m looking to leave -”

He shook his head, unwilling to give her the time of day. “Not going to happen.”

“Excuse me?”

“Do you realize how expensive it is to leave this country?”

“Yes,” she answered sternly. “I’ve been saving up money. I have to go to Arendelle.”

He eyed the broom in her hands. “Oh yeah? What do you do for work?”

“I’m a street sweeper.”

“Right, because that’s such a lucrative career,” he scoffed.

“Before this, I worked as a dishwasher in a restaurant and in a hotel, as a maid. I’ve saved up quite a bit of money and I need to know how much it would cost to purchase a train ticket.”

“You seem determined to get there, but I doubt you have enough money. Have you considered swimming across the sea?”

She narrowed her eyes, her cheeks growing redder with each passing second. “Do I look crazy?”

“No.”

“Then why are you so unwilling to help me?”

Sven spoke up finally. “We’re on the lookout for someone specific and you’re standing in our way.”

“Who are you looking for?”

“That’s part of the problem,” Sven shrugged. “We don’t know if she’s out there. She could be dead for all we know.”

“Oh,” the young woman said before turning back to Kristoff, the anger melting away from her face. “Can I help you find her? I really have to get to Arendelle and you’re the only person that can help me.”

“What’s so important in Arendelle?” Kristoff demanded.

She blinked a few times, staring off into the distance before finally answering softy, “I don’t know. I think I’m supposed to be visiting someone. I just have to get there, okay?”

Kristoff and Sven exchanged a curious glance. “Do you mind if my friend and I talk privately?”

She nodded, and the two men stepped out of her earshot to talk. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“That she looks exactly like Princess Anna?” Kristoff questioned.

“Mmhmm,” Sven agreed. “The hair and the eyes and the freckles. If she wasn’t so raggedy, I’d believe that it _was_ her.”

“Do you think she’d go along with our plan? She seems desperate enough to get to Arendelle.”

Sven looked over in her direction to confirm that she hadn’t walked away. “We’d have to ask her. She needs a lot of work, though - a shower, first and foremost.”

“Do you think she’s teachable?”

“She’s young and pretty, and if she has an interest in learning and some acting skills, then she’ll be fine. We have to do whatever we can to get our hands on that reward money.”

They nodded to each other before walking back towards the young woman, ready to gather as much information about her as they could and hoping that she’d fit the idealistic role of Princess Anna.

Sven started. “You got a name, kid?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” Sven raised an eyebrow. “Everyone’s got a name.”

“I woke up in a hospital and they told me I had amnesia. They nurses called me Joan - but I don’t know if that’s my real name.”

Kristoff interjected. “Do you remember anything at all?”

“Only that I have to get to Arendelle. I hear a voice in my head that I don’t recognize, and it says ‘I’ll meet you back here in Arendelle.’”

Kristoff and Sven exchanged another look; she clearly _was_ crazy despite her earlier denial of such a fact.

He pressed on. “How’d you get to the hospital?”

“I don’t know. I woke up there and I was told that I was found wandering in the woods with nothing but the clothes on my back.”

“Do you have trouble forming new memories?”

“No. I just can’t remember anything from my past,” she answered with a frown.

Finally deciding to cut to the chase, Kristoff asked, “Does the name ‘Anna’ mean anything to you, Joan?”

Joan shook her head. “No. Though, I have heard whispers that there’s a missing princess with the same name. She’s rumored to be alive, too. Wouldn’t it be remarkable if she was alive?”

“It would,” Sven agreed. “More than you’d think.”

“We have good news for you, Joan,” Kristoff smirked. “We’re actually heading to Arendelle ourselves and we’d like for you to come along.”

She let go of the broom - which clattered to the floor with a thud - to clap her hands together in excitement, grinning widely. “You would?”

“Oh, yes,” Sven answered. “But there are a few things we have to discuss before our trip.”

“Of course,” she nodded eagerly. “I’ll do anything. I’m just so grateful that you’re willing to help me.”

“That’s wonderful,” Kristoff remarked, the corners of his lips twitching upwards to form a smile; it was difficult to not smile back at her - her giddiness was quite contagious. “We have quite a bit of work to do and not a lot of time to do it, so I hope you’re a fast learner.”


	2. Learn to Do It

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!!! Happy First Day of Winter!!! Winter is my least favorite season, so I’m not too happy about it lol. There are some pretty major holidays coming up this week, so Merry Christmas and Happy Kwanzaa if you celebrate either (or both) of those! I hope you enjoy this chapter!!!

“So, what’s the plan?” Joan asked excitedly, once she was seated on a wooden chair placed in the middle of the stage in the large, dusty theatre. 

“Remember the Princess we were talking about a little while ago? Princess Anna?”

“Yes,” she nodded. 

Sven smiled. “You’re going to become her.”

Her face fell. “Me? I can’t be a princess! Look at me!” She motioned to her dingy coat and dirty boots. 

“We’re going to turn you into a princess,” Sven assured her. “We’ll teach you the history of Arendelle, and how to dance and eat and talk like a royal.”

“Right,” Kristoff agreed. “You’re going to _become_ Princess Anna.”

“But I’m not her. I’m Joan and -”

“Uh-uh,” Sven interrupted, wagging a finger. “You don’t know _who_ you are. How do you know that we’re not helping you remember the truth?”

She didn’t look convinced. “I don’t know how I feel about lying.”

“Well, this is your ticket to Arendelle,” Kristoff reminded her. “If you back out of our deal, your only option will be to swim across this sea.”

Sven nodded. “You see, Joan, if Queen Elsa recognizes you as her long-lost sister, then Kristoff and I will be rewarded for our efforts and you’ll live a glamorous life in a castle with servants, all the food you could ever desire, and a nice, warm bed with the finest sheets in all the land.”

“And what happens if Queen Elsa _knows_ that I’m not her sister?”

Kristoff and Sven exchanged a look, knowing full well what _could_ happen if the Queen didn’t believe them - but their glance was more of a promise to each other that they wouldn’t tell Joan that. Kristoff cleared his throat. “She’ll understand. She’s the one who publicly announced the reward, and surely she knows that some young women will come forward as imposters. It’s an honest mistake, after all, and we can use your amnesia as an excuse.”

Joan sat silently for a moment, contemplating what he’d just told her. “Where do we start?”

The two men sighed with relief. “Start by closing your eyes,” Sven suggested. “It’ll be easier to imagine what we’re going to tell you.”

She swallowed his instructions and then took a deep breath. “Okay, I’m ready.”

“To help you get used to the name change, whenever we’re in private we’re going to call you Anna. We can’t call you Anna in public until we have paperwork showing that it’s your name. The last thing that we need is for Prince Hans to unravel our plans and execute us.”

Her eyes flew open. “ _What?_ "

“Relax,” Kristoff said, holding up both of his hands. “He’s not going to find out. Right, Sven?”

“Right,” Sven agreed, cringing at his faux pas. “Now close your eyes again - good. Arendelle is a gorgeous country with a rich history. The castle where you were born borders a beautiful, blue fjord.”

“A castle on the fjord,” she repeated. “Sounds lovely.”

“Now, _Anna_ , your family has spent generations in control of the throne. Your sister, Elsa, is the reigning monarch. She ascended to the throne three years ago, after the deaths of your parents - Agnarr and Iduna.”

“Elsa, Agnarr, and Iduna.”

“Excellent! You learn quickly,” Sven remarked.

She smiled tensely. “Thanks.”

“Before your father became King, his father - Runeard - was the King. He was lost in battle several decades ago. Your father was a young man when he passed.”

“So my grandfather was Runeard?”

“Yes!”

“What else?” she asked, eagerly.

Sven went through nearly the entire royal family tree, and she repeated them back to him as Kristoff watched in amusement - it was impressive that Sven was able to remember so much about the royal family, though he suspected the other man had been reading a lot of books in his free time. After nearly two hours of learning, Sven decided to quiz her and see what she’d learned.

“And which duchy is Arendelle’s main trading partner?”

“Um…” she started, trying her best to remember the name. After a moment, she gave up. “I can’t remember.”

“Weselton.”

“Right,” she nodded, biting down on her lip. “I should write all of this down.”

“Maybe we should take a break from the history and politics lessons and focus on something else for a while,” Kristoff suggested.

“Good idea,” Sven agreed. “How about we practice walking like a princess? Stand up, Anna, and take your coat off for this one.”

She slid her arms out of the brown coat and tossed it onto the chair. Sven gently rolled her shoulders back and adjusted her posture. “There, now hold your head up high and try to walk without looking at the ground.”

“I have to look at the ground,” she insisted. “I’m clumsy. I trip over rocks in the street.”

“A princess wouldn’t look at the ground. Keep your eyes level and your shoulders back and your chin tilted upwards.”

She followed his directions to the best of her ability and took a few steps, but it was clear that she was uncomfortable. “I look silly, don’t I?”

“You just have to practice a little,” Kristoff assured her. “Try walking like this in your everyday life.”

“I told you, I trip over rocks in the street. I don’t want to fall and hurt myself.”

Sven shook his head. “You won’t hurt yourself. Besides, after walking lessons come dance lessons, and if you can’t walk, then you surely can’t dance.”

She slumped her shoulders. “Exactly. I _can’t_ dance.”

“Shoulders back,” he reminded her and with a sigh, she returned them back to their upright position. “You _will_ be able to walk and you _will_ be able to dance.”

She muttered something under her breath, but continued to walk around the stage in the way that he’d taught her to. “How’s that?”

“Better, but not quite there yet.”

“This is difficult,” she groaned. “How does anyone learn to do all of this?”

“Years and years of formal lessons and training starting from birth.”

Her eyes widened. “And you expect me to learn it all in a few days?!”

“We don’t have a choice.”

“Well, royalty gets to eat,” she complained. “I’m starving.”

“Everyone is starving,” Kristoff pointed out.

“Kristoff, get the lady some food.”

He rolled his eyes. “This isn’t the bread line.”

“We can’t have our Princess keeling over from starvation. Go get her something to eat, please.”

He narrowed his eyes at Sven, but regardless, exited the theatre in search of food. It wasn’t like there were a surplus of restaurants nearby where you could get whatever food you desired. Food was limited and rationed, and he’d be lucky if he could swipe something edible from someone or somewhere.

Though it was not an easy quest, he was able to return to the theatre with a piece of bread. Carelessly, he tossed it onto the table where Sven and Anna were sitting. “There’s your food.”

“How about we use this as an opportunity to practice our table manners?” Sven suggested. 

“Okay,” she said, eyeing the food in front of her. 

“No elbows on the table, sit up straight, and chew slowly and thoughtfully with your mouth closed - you can’t shove the food down your throat. When you live in the castle, there will be an abundance of food and you’ll never go hungry again, so you won’t have to worry about gobbling up whatever you can get your hands on.”

She nodded, picking up the bread and taking a delicate bite despite her urge to eat it as quickly as possible.

“When you’re in the castle you’ll be treated to much nicer bread. There won’t be any dry, hard, flavorless bread to be found.”

She took another bite, chewing carefully before asking, “Do you think they’ll have chocolate in the castle?”

“Surely,” Sven answered. 

“That’s good. It’s delicious. An older nurse snuck me a piece when I was in the hospital and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since then.”

“Wait until you try caviar.”

She raised a curious eyebrow. “Caviar?”

“Salt-cured roe.”

“Fish eggs,” Kristoff clarified, certain that she wouldn’t know what roe was. 

“Ew.” She scrunched up her entire face. “Why would anyone eat that?”

“Because it’s damn good,” Kristoff chuckled. 

“I can’t imagine that it is. It sounds gross.”

“Take my word for it. It’s one of those things that you wish you could eat forever, and luckily for you, you’ll be able to do just that.”

She shrugged, and popped the last bite of the bread into her mouth. “That’s assuming that the Queen believes me. What’ll happen if she doesn’t? We just come back here?”

“Absolutely not,” Kristoff shook his head. “This place is hell on earth. The quality of life is much better in Arendelle. They don’t allow people to starve to death on the streets over there and they actually try to help people in need.”

“That’s nice,” she commented. “But what if Queen Elsa exiles me for being an imposter? Where will I go?”

“Kristoff and I won’t leave you to fend for yourself. We can go anywhere. Perhaps to Paris,” Sven assured her, glaring at the other man before changing the subject. “How about we try dancing now?”

“Okay,” she agreed, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand before standing up from the table. 

“Take off your coat, Kristoff. You won’t be comfortable if you wear it while dancing.”

He raised his eyebrows and pointed a finger at himself. “Me? Dancing?”

“Yes, you’re going to dance with Anna.”

“No, no, no,” he shook his head. “I don’t know how to dance.”

“Neither does she.”

“But _you_ do.” 

“It’s easier for me to explain if I teach both of you at the same time. I can’t teach her _and_ dance with her. Now, take off your coat,” Sven directed.

With a sigh, Kristoff shrugged out of his coat and laid it on his chair before moving to stand a few feet away from her. “Coat is off.”

“Now bow to the lady.”

“Absolutely not,” he retorted. “I’ve only bowed once in my life and it was before I knew any better. Never again.”

With a sigh, Sven relented. “Fine. We’ll proceed with the dancing, then. Move in close.”

They were both hesitant to start and it wasn’t until Sven walked over and pushed them towards each other and began to rearrange their limbs that they actually adjusted to the idea of dancing together.

“Kristoff, your hand goes here on Anna’s waist, and Anna, your hand is going to rest on Kristoff’s shoulder. Now join your free hands and keep your elbows pointed outwards - excellent!”

“Now what?” Kristoff asked irritatedly. 

“Follow my counts as you step from side to side,” Sven said. “One, two three. One, two, three…”

They slowly started to step back and forth to the sound of Sven’s counting though they were both apprehensive about their skills. Just as they started to feel comfortable with the pacing and the steps, Kristoff accidentally stepped on her foot and ruined the rhythm. 

“Ow!” she cried, pulling away from him. 

But before he could even think about apologizing, her pain turned to rage and she kicked him in the shin - and for such a small person, she had a quite powerful kick. “Hey! What was that for?”

“For stepping on my foot!”

“That was an accident! I didn’t intentionally step on your foot!”

“Princesses don’t kick people,” Sven scolded.

“I’m not a princess,” she grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest. “And I don’t know why I agreed to do this! I can’t walk or dance properly, and I barely remember everything you spent hours teaching me.”

Sven placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “You’re learning, Anna. Neither of us expected you to become an expert in one day. You just need a little more practice.”

She brushed his hand away. “I feel so foolish for buying into this. I wish we’d never met.”

“You’re free to go if you want,” Sven said, exchanging a knowing glance with Kristoff. “But you’ll be forfeiting your one and only opportunity to get to Arendelle.”

She contemplated for a minute before finally giving in with a groan. “Fine. What now?”

“Try dancing with Kristoff again.”

Kristoff raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“Yes,” Sven answered, nudging his friends towards her again. “And no violence this time, Princess.”

She glared at him, but willingly placed her hand on Kristoff’s shoulder and took his hand once again. A moment later, he rested his hand on her waist, and they started to step back and forth to Sven’s counts of three. After a few moments, they fell into a comfortable rhythm. 

With newfound confidence, they picked up the speed and danced in circles around the stage, excited shrieks escaping their lips as they found themselves unable to contain their giddiness. They both managed to tune out Sven’s counting in the background, instead choosing to go at their own, quickened pace. Emboldened, Kristoff managed to lift her off the ground and twirl around - to her delight - before continuing the routine, her long skirt brushing against his shins as they moved. 

When they finally came to a halt, they both hesitated to let go, and instead took the moment to stare at each other as they caught their breath through open-mouthed grins.

“That was wonderful!” Sven cheered, clapping his hands together for the pair. “And to think, you both claimed you couldn’t dance.”

“That was so much fun,” she breathed. “What’s next?”

“How about we call it a day? You deserve a good rest after everything you’ve learned today. Same time and place tomorrow?”

“Yes,” she nodded, finally pulling away from Kristoff. “Thank you both for teaching me today.”

“You’re welcome,” Sven smiled.

She collected her coat and her broom, and with a final wave goodbye, she left the theatre.

Curious to know his friend's opinion, Kristoff asked, “What do you think?”

“She’s quite charming,” Sven answered. “A little feisty, but she made wonderful progress today. The more important question is - what do _you_ think?”

“Why does my opinion matter?” he chuckled. “This was your idea and you’re the expert. I’m just in it for the reward.”

Sven rolled his eyes and nudged his friend in the ribs. “After that stunt you pulled while dancing? Keep telling yourself that.”

* * *

“Your Highness! Your Highness!” the woman called breathlessly.

Hans turned around to see a small, blonde woman approaching him at a fast pace. He held his hands out. “Slow down. There is no rush.”

When she finally came to a half in front of him, she sputtered, “I have to report a crime.”

He raised an inquisitive eyebrow. “Go on.”

“There’s a girl,” she explained. “She’s planning to impersonate Princess Anna.”

“Princess Anna is dead - don’t buy into any of those silly rumors.”

“I know, but they’re trying to pretend like she isn’t.”

“Who? And who is this girl?”

“The girl's name is Joan. She’s a street sweeper and she looks _nothing_ like Princess Anna. The Princess was beautiful and...well, this girl is homely. I look more like the Princess than she does.”

“That’s enough about the Princess!” Hans boomed. The woman took a step back, cowering in fear. “Are you done here?”

“Are you going to arrest her?”

“I’ll be sure to file a report about it, but if it turns out to be silly gossip, there’ll be consequences for your actions. Understood?”

She nodded. “Yes, Your Highness.”

“Then continue to go about your business, please,” he remarked before walking away.

When she was finally far enough away from him, he couldn’t help but sigh. Ever since Queen Elsa had announced the reward for Princess Anna’s return, reports had started to pop up about young women who planned on impersonating the Princess. Though the rumors were unsubstantiated, they still had to be addressed and the list was growing longer by the day.

The one fortunate thing was that travel between the Southern Isles and Arendelle was extremely limited and a luxury that few could afford. While many of these women had thought to pursue their delusions of grandeur, none of them actually had the means to travel between the two kingdoms. 

It simplified things. He’d file a report about this Joan girl, have her arrested and brought into his office for questioning, and if she was as poor and homely as the woman on the street had described, he’d contemplate letting her go - after all, she’d be unable to afford the train tickets and necessary documents for travel. And by instilling a little fear in her, he’d be sure that she’d give up her Princess fantasy for good.


	3. The Rumors Never End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! By the end of this week, we’ll be in a new year! I hope you all have a safe and healthy start to 2021, and I *really* hope that 2021 will be a better year than 2020 was. I’m very grateful for everyone who has read, commented, given me a kudos or a reblog, everything! Thank you all so much, you have absolutely no idea what it means to me! See you all next year!!! Enjoy!!!

The morning had started out like any other morning. She hadn’t been able to sleep well, plagued by nightmares and the constant fear of something happening to her while she rested. Every once in a while, she had a pleasant, recurring dream of being held and comforted by someone but as time went on and she got less and less sleep, those dreams faded from existence. The last time she was able to sleep for an entire night was when she was safe in the hospital. Considering that she hadn’t had a home since then, she also technically had no place to sleep safely. 

She contemplated bringing this up to Kristoff and Sven - that she was sleeping in the woods, with no shelter to keep her safe from other people or animals or the weather - but ultimately decided against it. They were already doing more than enough to help her, even if their reason for helping her boiled down to their own monetary gain. Still, she was grateful to them. They’d done more for her in just a few days of knowing her than anyone had since she left the hospital.

With a hearty sigh, she shook out her coat - which doubled as her blanket overnight - and slid her arms into the sleeves before fastening the belt around her waist. She grabbed hold of the broom that she used to clean the streets of the Southern Isles and set off to the theatre to meet up her new friends. 

It was a bit of a walk to their meeting spot, but for most of it, she was surrounded by other passersby. Today was different, though. Part way through her walk, she suddenly became suspicious that she was being followed. It was a terrible, sinking feeling, and every time she looked over her shoulder, they were there. Two large men in uniforms following behind her no matter which streets she turned onto. She didn’t know how to react and tried to think it through - she could stop and make conversation with a stranger, or she could try to look occupied with sweeping, or she could run. But where would she run to? The theatre was still a considerable distance away and she wasn’t sure she could run that far.

She decided to run anyway. And at that point, it became apparent that they were indeed following her, because they also took off at a running pace. Unfortunately for her, they were much faster and managed to catch up with her easily. The next thing she knew, her broom was on the ground and their hands were wrapped around her arms, forcefully pulling her in the opposite direction.

“Hey! Let go!” she yelled, trying to free herself from their grasp. “What are you doing?!”

“Stop talking,” the man on the left warned.

“Put me down! I’m supposed to be working!” She attempted to dig her heels into the unforgiving cement in an attempt to free herself, but it only made matters worse.

“ _Stop yelling,_ ” the man on the right sneered, tightening his grip on her arm.

“Stop! You’re hurting me!”

“Stop struggling and you won’t be hurt.”

She swallowed and relented. She had no idea who they were or where they were taking her, but she assumed that they were part of the Royal Guard based on their uniforms. She didn’t even know why they targeted her, as she was merely walking towards the theatre to meet up with Kristoff and Sven and she hadn’t done anything wrong. Unless she _did_ do something wrong - the rules in the Southern Isles were confusing and she was always worried that she was accidentally going to break a rule and be punished for it.

She just hoped that she wouldn’t be executed for whatever it was she did that warranted her arrest.

They dragged her along to a large building brimming with officers from the Royal Guard. It was large and grey and uninviting, and the interior felt sterile and cold. She felt herself being watched as she was led to an office at the back of the building. Once inside, the two guards finally let go of her arms.

“Sit down,” one instructed.

She did as she was told, sitting in one of the two chairs that were positioned in front of a desk. The door closed behind her, and when she turned around, they were gone. She had no idea what was going to happen next, but she was glad that she was brought to an office as opposed to a prison cell. She glanced around the tidy room, her heart pounding in her ears as she pondered what was to come. 

She was so consumed by her own thoughts that she nearly jumped out of her skin when the door opened, revealing an infamous face - Prince Hans. 

“Joan, right?”

“Yes,” she answered hesitantly, keeping a watchful eye on him as he moved around the room. 

“Do you know who I am?”

“You’re the Prince. Prince Hans.”

He smiled. “That’s right. Can I get you anything, Joan? A cup of tea, perhaps?”

She shook her head. “No, thank you.”

“Do you know why you’re here, Joan?”

“I’m afraid I don’t. Did I do something wrong?”

“There’s been a bit of trouble,” he mused, finally taking a seat at his desk. “You see, we’ve received a report that a young street sweeper named Joan was planning on traveling to Arendelle and impersonating the deceased Princess. And we take those reports very seriously, so we felt it was appropriate to bring you into the office and talk to you about that...rumor.”

“I see,” she faltered, trying to come up with a response. “Let me assure you, I would never do such a thing. It’s...despicable to impersonate a dead person.”

He smiled again, though this time it was more cunning. “That’s good to hear, because impersonating the Princess would be considered a crime punishable by the highest extent of the law.”

“Is it?”

“Mmhmm,” he hummed, menacingly tapping his fingers on the desk. “And you wouldn’t want to be sentenced to death over a silly fantasy, now would you?”

“Of course not, Your Highness.”

“You seem to be very cooperative, Joan. Are you sure you don’t want a cup of tea?”

“Yes, I’m sure. Thank you, Your Highness.”

He nodded, pressing his lips into a thin line. “Now, do you have any idea why such a rumor would be started about you? It’s quite defamatory and the repercussions are serious.”

“I don’t know,” she assured him. “Honestly. I’ve dedicated myself to keeping the streets of the city free from debris and I very seldom interact with others. I mostly mind my business and focus on my work.”

“So you know nothing about the Princess?"

She shook her head. “No, I don’t. In fact, I probably know less about the Princess than the average person. I was in an accident a while back and I lost my memory - she was already long dead when I came to.”

He looked her up and down. “You know what, Joan? I’m going to let you off with a warning for today. _But_ if I receive any more reports regarding you and your plans to impersonate the Princess, there will be dire consequences. You can understand that, right?”

“Yes, Your Highness,” she nodded. “I understand.”

“Excellent,” he said, his features softening. “Now, I need you to do me a favor.”

“Alright.”

“If you hear any rumors of young women engaging in this Princess fantasy, you must come forward and file a report immediately,” he explained. “Or, if you come across any men who are assisting a young woman with such plans. Understood?”

“Understood.”

He offered her his hand then, and she stared at it for a moment or two before he laughed. “Oh, come on, it’s just a hand. It’s not going to bite you. Besides, we’re friends now, right?”

“Right,” she agreed, hesitantly accepting his hand and shaking it.

“And as your new friend, I just want to remind you to be careful about who you associate with. Be very, very careful because we’re _always_ watching.”

“I will,” she nodded. “Am I free to go?”

“Of course.”

“Thank you, Your Highness,” she said, before standing up. When he stood up, she quickly curtsied for him before exiting his office. She was hardly able to contain her nerves as she walked through the sterile building brimming with officers, but as soon as she was outside, she took off at a running pace towards the theatre. She had to warn Kristoff and Sven. 

* * *

Unbeknownst to her, Hans had recognized her.

He’d recognize her anywhere. He was there on the day she “died.” That entire day was a blur to him - guns firing, glass shattering, blood everywhere. He had never personally watched anyone be executed in such a manner until that very day, as he had recently turned sixteen and his father deemed him eligible to join the Royal Guard.

It had long been speculated that Princess Anna survived. She was standing near the broken window cowering in fear, and there was a shot in her direction and then she was gone. Even from looking out of the first floor bedroom window to the street, her body was nowhere to be found. It was initially assumed that she’d been shot, and with adrenaline pumping through her body, she ran off to die in a secluded area and had never managed to be found as a result. Until the rumors started to swirl that she was alive.

Now he knew for sure. 

The only problem was what to do about it. From just a few days of investigation, he knew virtually everything about “Joan” - who she associated with, where she slept, everything. It was fairly obvious that she didn’t know who she _really_ was, as there was no way a royal would willingly slum it on the streets when they had a lush castle to go home to. The questioning was merely a ruse to see if she would give in and admit to the "impersonation scheme" because the last thing he needed was Queen Elsa to get word that her younger sister was actually alive. But she didn’t give in and as an act of mercy, he let her go - knowing full well that if he killed her on the spot, the repercussions could be dire for his family.

He had to think this through carefully, for one misstep could be fatal. He immediately decided against telling his father about her reappearance. While he didn’t yet know what he was going to do about her, this was a situation that he was determined to handle on his own. And first and foremost, travel to Arendelle would have to be shut down as quickly as possible to keep her right where she was - under his watchful eye. 

* * *

Kristoff and Sven sat at the table with their hands tucked under their chins.

“Do you think she’s going to show up?”

“I don’t know,” Sven sighed. “She said she would, but she’s extremely late.”

“People lie all the time.”

“It’s not like she could’ve gone anywhere far - this is an island. Unless she took your advice literally and is attempting to swim across the sea.”

Kristoff raised an eyebrow. “Are you blaming me for this?”

“No, but I’m just saying that if you hadn’t _suggested_ that she swim -”

He was interrupted by the sound of the doors to the theatre thundering open. They both jumped out of their chairs, causing the cheap furniture to fall backwards with a series of clatters.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” she called as she rushed toward them.

“Anna! Where were you?” Sven asked. 

“I was arrested.”

“Are you alright?”

She shook her head, before whimpering, “No.”

“What happened? Why were you arrested?”

Unable to hold back any longer, tears began to cascade down her cheeks. “They...he...knows about us.”

When she buried her face in her hands, Sven took the opportunity to nudge Kristoff. “Comfort her,” he mouthed.

Kristoff vehemently shook his head. “No,” he mouthed back, before motioning to her with both of his hands, as if to convince the other man to do it.

More forcefully, Sven pushed Kristoff towards her. Kristoff scowled, but placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder nevertheless. Hardly a minute passed before she rushed toward him and gripped him tightly around the waist as she sobbed into his chest. He narrowed his eyes at Sven - who seemed to be amused his discomfort - but delicately wrapped his arms around her.

“Anna, I’m going to fetch you a glass of water and something to eat, alright?”

Unsurprisingly, she didn’t answer, so he spun on his heel and walked away from the pair.

“Sven, wait!” Kristoff called, to no avail. The other man marched toward the exit to the theatre without bothering to turn around or pay his friend any mind, leaving Kristoff in an awkward position. He never really had to comfort anyone before, especially not a young girl who was using his shirt as a handkerchief. He sighed, looking down at the top of her head. “Hey, it’s going to be okay.”

She attempted to shake her head. “He’s going to kill us.”

“No, he’s not,” he responded, squeezing her a bit tighter. “Nothing bad is going to happen to us.”

She finally pulled away enough to look up at him, her cheeks blotchy and eyes dampened. “Yes, he is. We’re going to die.”

“No, we’re not. We’re leaving, remember? He’s not going to follow us to Arendelle.”

“How do you know?”

“I don’t,” he answered in a low voice. She promptly slammed her head back against his chest and resumed crying at the sound of his uncertainty, so he quickly added, “It’s going to be okay. No one is going to die and in no time at all, we’ll be in Arendelle preparing to meet the Queen.”

She didn’t answer, and he was immediately wracked with guilt; he didn’t know what to do or say to make her feel better and he was angry that Sven left him to fend for himself. So instead of saying anything, he just held her and let her cry. 

After a few minutes, she finally pulled away and wiped at her nose with the back of her hand. He wished that he had a real handkerchief to give her, so she could blow her nose and dry her eyes.

Instead, he asked, “Are you okay?”

“I don’t know,” she answered shakily. “I’m sorry that I got your shirt wet.”

“It’s okay,” he assured her, absent-mindedly brushing at the wet spot. “It’s just a shirt.”

She smiled for a second, then immediately resumed frowning. “What are we going to do?”

“We’ll figure it out. Sven’ll know what to do.”

“I sleep in the woods,” she confessed suddenly, looking him directly in the eye. “He’ll find me there. He said they’re always watching.”

He hesitated - not because he didn’t want to immediately promise her a safe dwelling, but because he figured he should clear it with his friend before making such an offer. Remembering the precarious situation Sven had left him in just a little while ago, he decided that his friend’s opinion wouldn’t matter. “You can stay with Sven and I until we leave for Arendelle.”

She sniffled. “Really?”

“We aren’t going to leave you to fend for yourself if Hans is out there watching your every move.”

“But he’s watching _all_ of us.”

“As long as we stick together, we’ll be alright.”

“How do you know?”

Before he could answer her question, the doors to the theatre burst open and Sven emerged from the outside. “I have good news and bad news! The good news is that I have water and lentils for you, Anna.”

“Thank you, Sven,” she responded.

He approached the stage and set the food down on the table. “I know it’s not that great, but it’s all I could get.”

“That’s okay,” she said, before taking a sip of the water. “I’m just grateful that you found this for me in the first place.”

Once they were all settled at the table, Kristoff asked hesitantly, “What’s the bad news?” 

“All travel to and from Arendelle is being suspended by the end of the week.”

His face fell. “ _What_? Why?”

Sven shook his head. “I don’t know, it’s the latest rumor on the street. We’re going to have to leave a lot sooner than we planned, or else we’ll be stuck here.”

“I don’t want to be stuck here,” she whimpered, her face crumpling all over again. 

“I’m going to speak to one of my associates about securing our travel documents first thing tomorrow morning,” Sven declared, staring pointedly at her. “There’s not a chance in hell that we’re staying here, so you ought to go home and pack up your things and get a good nights sleep. We could be catching the train as soon as tomorrow evening and you need to be prepared.”

“Anna is actually going to stay with us tonight,” Kristoff interjected, deciding that it was time to share that tidbit of information with his friend. “Hans has a target on her back - on all of our backs, really - and it’ll be safer for us to stay together until we’re in Arendelle.”

“Fine, she can stay,” Sven sighed. “But you’d both better be prepared to board the train tomorrow. Get up early, pack Anna’s things, and wait here for me to return with the documents. The last thing we need is another fiasco.”

For the first time that day, Kristoff felt the tiniest glimmer of hope. If Sven could pull this off, they had less than twenty-four hours left in the Southern Isles, and a day he never thought would come was finally on the horizon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***I want everyone to know that the wonderful and talented [Bix](https://frozen-vikings.tumblr.com/) drew the *most* amazing fanart of [Anna and Kristoff holding each other](https://frozen-vikings.tumblr.com/post/640654116393304064/she-attempted-to-shake-her-head-hes-going-to) (featuring bonus Sven!!)!!!! Please, please, please check out the link to her lovely art and her amazing blog!!!!!! Thank you for drawing this, Bix, it’s absolutely beautiful and it means so much to me that you would draw art based on something I wrote. I'm totally obsessed with it!!!!! <3333***
> 
> So as you may’ve noticed, a bit of this chapter deviates from what actually happens in the stage show. They don’t show Anya actually getting arrested - they only show Gleb questioning her in the office - and they don’t show her crying or being comforted by either Dmitry or Vlad. But I wanted to up the ante on the drama and hurt/comfort so I took some liberties here lol. 
> 
> Also, you may've noticed that in the sections from Anna's perspective, I only refer to her as "she" or "her." This is mainly because she doesn't know who she is - she doesn't feel like the Joan that the nurses have deemed her but she doesn't quite identify with Anna yet, either. It's something that I plan to address in the next chapter! And as always, thank you for reading!!!


	4. My Arendelle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!!! Happy New Year!!!! I hope that you’ve all had a lovely 2021 thus far. I finished this at 5 o’clock this morning, because I clearly don’t understand what planning or sleep are. I hope you enjoy this chapter!!!
> 
> A minor content warning about this chapter: It features the implication that a sexual assault/violent situation could have occurred had Kristoff not been present (there is no sexual assault or violence though - it’s just implied that it could’ve happened). That part of the chapter is extremely brief, but if either of those make you uncomfortable, I would consider skipping just to be safe.
> 
> Also if you feel that this warning is vague/needs to be expanded upon please feel free to let me know!!! I try to adhere by the guidelines of a PG-13 movie when I choose a T rating but I don't want anyone to feel blindsided by anything that I'm posting.

“How did you sleep?” Kristoff asked, as they emerged into the bright morning light. They had just taken photographs for their travel documents, and while Sven’s acquaintance was handling the development process, Sven was working on fudging the other paperwork and securing their train tickets. There wasn’t enough time to secure legitimate, government-issued documents, but luckily, fake documents tended to go unnoticed by members of the King’s Guard, who presumed them to be real because of their simple nature. 

Currently, Kristoff was following Anna to wherever she kept her belongings so they could prepare for their journey to Arendelle.

“Wonderfully,” she sighed contentedly.

He raised an eyebrow; she had slept in a mostly upright position on one of the theatre chairs and he couldn’t imagine that it was very comfortable. “Really?” 

“Oh, yes,” she nodded. “I slept so well that I had a dream.”

“Do you not normally dream?”

“I normally have nightmares,” she explained with a shudder. “Lots of loud noises and flashing and yelling. They’re always the same and they’re not very pleasant.”

“Oh.”

“But when I dream, it’s always the same thing, too. Someone rescues me and holds me, keeping me safe and warm from all of the bad things.” She wrapped her arms tightly around herself and shrugged, pressing her ear to her shoulder and smiling at the thought of it.

He couldn’t help but smile himself, recalling the previous day. He hoped that she felt as safe and comforted by his touch as she did by her dream of such a thing. “That sounds nice.”

“It is! Did you sleep well?”

He shrugged. “I’ll sleep a lot better when we’re in Arendelle.”

She giggled, kicking a stone into the street. “It’ll be nice to sleep in a bed. I haven’t had a bed since I was in the hospital.”

He nodded in agreement. They walked in silence for a while as he followed her lead to the woods where she housed her belongings. After a few moments, she piped up again. “Do you know anything about Joan of Arc?”

“I don’t,” he answered. “But you should ask Sven. He knows a lot of things about a lot of people.”

“Well, she’s who the nurses named me after,” she explained. “They told me that I was resilient and strong and a name like Joan would suit me, because Joan of Arc led the French army to victory at Orléans.”

“That’s pretty good, then, right?”

She shook her head. “It’s not. She heard voices in her head, too, and she was executed. Burned at the stake, to be specific. At first I thought it was good that they named me after a strong woman, but it seems like a bad omen now because I’m worried that we’re going to be executed.”

“You’re not Joan of Arc and we’re not going to be executed,” he chuckled. “It’s just a name. You also go by Anna, technically.”

“Yeah, but she may’ve been executed, too. I don’t seem to have a good track record with names.”

He paused to look her in the eye. “Hans is not going to execute us. Sven and I are going to protect you.”

“Do you have magic powers that deflect bullets or prevent you from being shot?”

“...No.”

She looked at him pointedly. “So how can you protect me if you can’t even protect yourselves?”

“We just have to be a few steps ahead of him, that’s all. Sven is organizing our paperwork as we speak and soon we’ll be far, far away from this hell-hole.”

“But -” she started, though she was interrupted when an unfamiliar voice called out Kristoff’s name. They both looked up to see two men approaching them from across the street.

“Great,” he muttered, pushing Anna behind him in an effort to keep her away from them. She appeared to be confused by his actions, but peered around his upper arm instead of standing directly next to him like she would have preferred. 

“Kristoff!” a second voice called.

“Yes?” he groaned. He had the displeasure of being familiar with these guys - Daniel and Ruben - since he’d arrived in the Southern Isles. They were nothing but pains in his ass; constantly drunk and pugnacious, but also eager to usurp Kristoff and Sven and become the most notorious con men on the island.

“Where’ve ya been? We haven’t seen you in a while.”

“Busy.”

Ruben smirked. “Busy with her?”

“Yeah, who’s this pretty little thing? Is she your girlfriend?” Daniel asked, quirking an eyebrow.

“No,” he insisted, a blush creeping over his cheeks. “She’s not my girlfriend.”

“Oh, so she’s for hire? You wouldn’t mind if I took a turn with her, would you?”

She opened her mouth to say something in return, but Kristoff beat her to it. “Don’t talk about her like that.”

“Why not? If you don’t want her, then we’ll be more than happy to take her off your hands.” Ruben attempted to reach around Kristoff’s arm, but his hand was quickly smacked away. 

“Keep your hands to yourself,” Kristoff warned.

“Getting defensive over a prostitute? You’ve gone soft.”

“Yeah, come on! Don’t be so greedy with her.”

Knowing that the spat would likely escalate into a physical altercation, he bit back the urge to hurl obscenities at the men. He wasn’t going to fight them while Anna stood by idly and watched in horror, so despite the fact that his blood was boiling over, he decided to take the high road. Twisting around, he wrapped his arm around Anna’s shoulders and gently prodded her to walk alongside him. “Come on, we’re leaving.”

The two men continued to call after them as they stalked off in the opposite direction, but luckily didn’t follow. 

“They thought I was a prostitute?” she asked in a small voice, looking up at his face with sad eyes.

Kristoff sighed. “Ignore them. They’re shitheads who like to objectify every woman they lay eyes on.”

She nodded. “I’m glad that you were with me. They probably wouldn’t have let me go so easily otherwise.” 

He knew what they could’ve done if she’d been alone and the thought was enough to make him feel sick to his stomach. “I know.”

“Thank you for defending me.”

He squeezed her shoulder with his hand. “I told you that I would protect you.”

A few moments passed before she spoke again, obviously eager to change the subject. “Tell me about Arendelle.”

“What do you want to know?”

“What’s it like? I can’t remember if I’ve ever been there, but the voice keeps telling me that’s where I have to go.”

“It’s a hell of a lot nicer than this place, that’s for sure,” he answered gruffly, glancing around to make sure there were no prying eyes. “I grew up there.”

“You did?”

“Mmhmm,” he nodded. 

“Is your family there?”

He hesitated for a moment, but decided to explain when she looked up at him expectantly. “I don’t have a family.”

“Oh,” she frowned, her eyes darting away as her cheeks turned pink. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

“I didn’t expect you to know. I grew up in the orphanage. Left to live on the streets when I was ten.”

“Ten? So young?”

“I thought I could take care of myself,” he shrugged. “I met Sven on the streets. We came here for an adventure as teenagers and got stuck when the war started.”

“Weren’t you scared of being alone? You were just a kid.”

“Living on the streets in Arendelle is different from living on the streets here. It wasn’t ideal, but the conditions were much better. People were kinder and food was easier to find.”

“I would still be scared,” she commented. “Do you think it’s still like that?”

“I hope so. From what I’ve heard, Arendelle is still a prosperous kingdom. I’m excited to go back and see how it’s changed.”

“Sometimes I wonder where I’m from. If I’ve lived here my entire life, or somewhere else. To my knowledge, I don’t have a family either.”

“Well, don’t forget you have someone waiting for you in Arendelle.”

“I don’t know who they are, though.”

“You’ll find them,” he said confidently. “And you’ll have Queen Elsa, too. Don’t forget about her.”

“ _If_ she believes that I’m her sister.”

“She will. You look just like Princess Anna.”

She shrugged half-heartedly, clearly still unsure about their scheme. “Do you ever wonder about them? Your family? What they were like?”

“No,” he answered softly. “I stopped wondering about them a long time ago.”

“I wonder about mine. Who they are, if they’re still out there, if they miss me.”

“If they’re out there, I’m sure they do,” he assured her. “But sometimes the family you make is better than your blood family. Look at Sven and I - we’re like brothers.”

“I hope to have a family of my own someday. A home, love, and a family - what more could I ask for?”

He smiled, trying to think of what to say in response to her when she suddenly freed herself from his arm and took his hand in hers instead. They’d made it to the woods, and she led him quietly through the dense foliage before pausing in the middle of a damp, secluded area and dropping his hand.

“This is where you live?” he asked skeptically. He knew that she lived in the woods, but for some reason, he hadn’t imagined that she lived so out in the open. In his head, he’d constructed the idea that she lived in some type of shack or under a covering, where she’d at least be protected from the elements. He couldn’t fathom how she managed to survive the brutally cold and snowy winters or the blazing hot summers.

“Yes,” she answered. “I didn’t know where to go after I left the hospital and I prioritized saving my money so I could buy a train ticket to Arendelle. I don’t have many belongings.”

He watched as she collected items from low hanging tree branches and behind rocks, handing them to him as she went. It didn’t take her very long to announce that she had gathered everything. “Okay. That’s it.”

He looked down at the small pile of clothing in his hands and suddenly understood why she wore the same outfits so frequently. “This is all you have?”

“I told you I didn’t have a lot. Some of my stuff has been stolen, too.”

“You don’t have any jewelry? Or makeup? Or even a blanket?”

She shook her head. “No, this is it.”

“Alright. Let’s head back, then.”

The walk back to the theatre was much more tranquil than the walk there - there were no interruptions, but regardless, she tightly wrapped both of her hands around his upper arm and held on out of an abundance of caution. He couldn’t help but feel bad for her; the Southern Isles was a difficult enough place to live as a man and he couldn’t imagine what women like her endured everyday on the streets. 

When they returned to the theatre, she packed her few items away into a suitcase that once belonged to Kristoff, and then they sat on the edge of the stage, swinging their feet back and forth as they waited for Sven to return with their paperwork.

“I really can’t believe this is happening,” she said giddily. “I’ve always dreamt of the day I would see Arendelle, but I hadn’t imagined it would happen so soon.”

“Me either. I thought it would take a few weeks for us to get there. Especially considering that train tickets are so hard to get.”

“That reminds me,” she started before raising her knee to her chest and sliding off her boot, “I owe you money for my train ticket.”

She pulled a couple of bills out of the shoe before switching feet, creating a small but impressive pile of money on the stage next to her. 

“You keep your money in your shoes?”

“Where else would I put it?” she giggled. “I don’t have a purse and I’m afraid of being pickpocketed.”

“Clever girl,” he praised, running his fingers over the cash. “Save your money. You’re going to need some new clothes when we get to Arendelle.”

“But the train tickets are expensive,” she protested. “I can’t let you and Sven pay for them.”

“Sven’s working out a deal with the booking clerk.”

She pushed the pile towards him. “It’s your money now.”

“No, it’s yours.”

“Fine, it’s _our_ money. Put it towards my train ticket.”

“You’re going to need it for your new clothes,” he insisted. “If anything, we can put it towards the hotel.”

“Deal,” she agreed smugly, certain that she’d won the argument. 

“Now put _our_ money away before you lose it.”

She nodded eagerly, stuffing the money back into her boots just as the doors to the theatre burst open.

“I did it!” Sven exclaimed excitedly. “We are leaving for Arendelle _tonight_!”

“We are?!” 

“Secured our tickets and finalized our documents! This time tomorrow, we’ll be in Arendelle!”

Kristoff heaved a relieved sigh as he jumped down from the stage, with Anna following quickly behind him. “Finally.”

“For you,” Sven said, handing a set of documents to Kristoff before handing a set to Anna. “Congratulations! Your _totally illegal_ legal name is officially Anna. I had to make up a birthday for you, but we can call you Anna publicly now.”

She excitedly scanned the document in her hands. “Wow, I have a name.”

“You sure do,” Sven laughed. 

“How do I pronounce the last name if the officers ask?”

“Let me see,” Kristoff offered. She handed him the paperwork, and he glanced over it. “Wait, this is my name. Why does she have my last name?”

“She needed a last name,” Sven shrugged.

He continued to scan the document. “Sven, it says she’s my wife!”

“An unwed young woman traveling alone with two men sounds quite debaucherous and the last thing we need is to get arrested before we even board the train.”

“Why couldn’t she be your fake wife?”

“Because I have eyes for someone else.”

“You’re a dirty, rotten liar!” Kristoff exclaimed. 

Sven rolled his eyes. “Why are you kicking up such a fuss about this?”

“I’d like to have a say in who I’m married to, even if it’s fake!”

“I didn't realize that traveling with me would cause so much trouble,” Anna interjected. “I’m sorry.”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Kristoff assured her, his face now burning from embarrassment. “You’re lovely and charming and smart and you’d make a wonderful wife to a very lucky man. Hell, you don’t even deserve a regular man. You deserve a Prince who’ll sweep you off your feet and pamper you.”

“What he said,” Sven nodded. “And blame the government of the Southern Isles and old-fashioned societal expectations for the trouble. It’s not your fault.”

“And I don’t mind that you have my last name on your papers. I was just a little shocked, that’s all.” Though he couldn’t bring himself to say it aloud, her name worked quite well with his. In another life, perhaps she’d be able to keep it. 

“I understand,” she said, keeping her eyes downcast.

“Chin up,” Sven commanded playfully before nudging her. “Tonight we board the train, tomorrow we’ll be in Arendelle, and by the end of this week, you’re going to have an entire staff waiting on you hand and foot.”

* * *

Hans sat at his desk, his fist pressed firmly against his cheek and his jaw locked tight.

It was stupid, really.

He shouldn’t have had any lingering feelings for her. But they were very much present, causing his mind and his heart to race at speeds he didn’t think were possible. Her family had come to the Southern Isles to meet _him_. To talk about the prospect of marriage. Being a young, dumb teenager meant he’d gotten his hopes up and fell too hard, too fast. And unfortunately for him, the negotiation with his father had gone south and her parents wound up dead for it. But she survived.

And now he was wondering what to do with her.

He could’ve thrown her in prison, but then his father would’ve been alerted and she would’ve been executed immediately. The last thing he needed was for his father to get involved _once again_ and ruin this for him.

He could’ve killed her himself, but then he’d be the one to deal with the backlash if Queen Elsa discovered that she was murdered in cold blood three years _after_ she was supposed to be killed. Thinking about how his father’s throne could be usurped as a result was not a pleasant thought.

So, he banned all travel from the Southern Isles to Arendelle. Logically, it seemed like the right thing to do at the time. He could keep her in the Southern Isles, keep an eye on her, and hope that she’d never remember who she was. Until he was alerted that a train ticket had been purchased for her by one of her associates - under the name Anna Bjorgman. As in, the wife of her other associate and fellow train passenger, Kristoff Bjorgman. 

To the best of his knowledge, she hadn’t married legally and royalty didn’t take the surname of a commoner. But the thought of it was enough to enrage him. She was _supposed_ to be _his_ wife.

And now she was going to escape right under his nose.

But he wouldn’t let her. Not again. It was time for a new plan - he was going to board their train to Arendelle and while he wasn’t yet sure what he was going to do, he was going to take care of this situation once and for all. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I definitely took more creative liberties with this chapter XD The part I included where Anna and Kristoff are fake married was definitely not in the show, *but* I did some research about traveling in the 1920s and up until the late 1930s, it was common for a woman to be designated as “wife of [husband’s name]” on her passport. Single women were allowed to travel with their maiden name but most single women didn't travel alone and seeing as Anna doesn’t have a last name, I thought it would be cute to make them fake married :)


	5. Journey to the Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!!!! This isn’t my favorite chapter by any means, but it’s one that’s necessary to advance the plot forward. Once again, I took a few creative liberties, but I’m sure no one is surprised by that XD. I hope you enjoy!!!!

When they finally arrived at the train station that evening, it was bustling with commotion and activity; dozens of people were preparing to board, carrying their luggage and their children around the crowded space. It was loud and chaotic, but also exhilarating. 

“Wow, so this is what a train station looks like,” Anna beamed, trying to take it all in. 

“Wait until you see the one in Arendelle,” Sven remarked. “It’s _much_ nicer than this.”

Her eyes widened. “Really?” 

“Everything is better in Arendelle,” he chuckled. 

“That’s why we need new clothes,” Kristoff explained. “They’ll know we’re Southern Isles street scum if we show up looking like this.”

“Neither of you are from the Southern Isles, though,” she pointed out. “And we’re not ‘street scum.’”

“Arendellians are quick to adjust to new styles and trends,” Sven interjected. “No one dresses like this over there anymore.”

“I see.”

“You’ll probably have to do something with your hair, too. A lot of women have been going for shorter hairstyles.”

She furrowed her eyebrows together, picking up one of her braids. “But I like my hair like this. I don’t want to cut it.”

“They don’t necessarily cut their hair, they just...pin it up, I suppose. Once you’re in the castle, you can do whatever you want,” Sven assured her. “But for now, it might be better to undo those.”

She nodded, undoing her braids so her hair fell loosely around her shoulders before looking at the two men. “Better?”

While Kristoff simply pursed his lips, Sven smiled. “Much better.”

“Maybe we should get in line now,” Kristoff said impatiently. “We don’t want to miss the train.”

Sven nodded. “Good idea.”

Kristoff held out his arm to her, and she accepted. They trailed behind Sven in the line, and when it was finally his turn, the officer skimmed over the papers without much thought, punched his ticket, and waved him forward. 

When it was their turn, Kristoff handed over both sets of papers. The officer glanced over Kristoff’s papers, but spent a much longer time studying Anna’s, going back and forth between looking at her and looking at her paperwork. “I’m sorry ma’am, but you look awfully familiar. Have we met before?”

She nervously looked up at Kristoff, unsure of how to answer the man, who she was certain she’d never met. Immediately picking up on her discomfort, he held his arm out in front of her as if to protect her before challenging the officer. “Do you have a problem with my wife?”

“No, sir,” the officer said, handing her papers back to him. “She just looked familiar to me, that’s all.”

“Are her papers in order?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Then let’s not worry about her likeness,” Kristoff commanded. “Are we able to board the train?”

He hastily punched both of their tickets and shoved them back at him. “Yes, sir. Have a nice day.”

They passed the guard, and when they reached the entrance to the train, he held his hand out so she could brace herself against him as she climbed the small set of stairs.

“You’ve taken to the role of ‘husband’ quite nicely,” Sven remarked as Kristoff stepped onto the train.

Kristoff playfully shoved his friend, causing Anna to giggle at the two men. With the help of a train attendant, the trio were able to locate their seats.

“Ladies first,” Sven said, allowing her to choose which seat she wanted to sit in.

She excitedly sat down on the spotless green upholstery, choosing the forward facing seat next to the window. To her recollection, she’d never been on a train before and she was more than excited to look out the window and watch the world go by as they rolled towards Arendelle.

Sven sat down on the backwards facing bench across from her, also choosing the window seat. She watched as Kristoff attempted to sit down in the empty spot next to him, only for Sven to promptly slide over and take the seat for himself. With a groan, Kristoff attempted to step over the other man’s legs and claim the window seat. In response to this, Sven lifted his legs off the ground and splayed himself across the bench, effectively claiming the entire thing for himself. She couldn’t help but smile at his shenanigans. 

“What are you doing?” Kristoff grumbled.

“This is _my_ seat,” Sven explained, before pointing to the empty space next to Anna. “That’s _your_ seat. The one next to your wife.”

With an annoyed sigh, he sat down next to her and crossed his arms over his chest. She fought the urge to giggle at his childish behavior. He was quite a confusing person; there were some moments where he was incredibly sweet and protective towards her, and others where it seemed like he couldn’t be bothered with her. It was crazy to think that when she had first met the pair of them, she had assumed she would be better friends with Sven because Kristoff was so mean to her right off the bat. Her opinions quickly changed as she spent more time with him - no thanks to Sven’s meddling - and in no time at all, she found herself preferring the company of the grumpy blond to the other man.

She gently pulled his left arm away from the tight position they were in before wrapping her hands around the limb and leaning her cheek against his shoulder. “Is being married to me really the worst thing in the world?” she teased.

“Don’t encourage him,” he warned, eyes narrowing slightly as he looked down at her. She couldn’t help but notice that he was trying to hold back a smile. 

She turned her nose up, feigning bossiness. “I’ll do as I please.”

“Getting a bit bold there, huh, Princess?”

“I believe ‘royal mess’ would be a more apt description of me.” She pulled a hand away from his arm and held it out to demonstrate how shaky it was to the two men. “My hands haven’t stopped shaking since we spoke to the officer and boarded the train.”

“You ought to keep them on Kristoff then,” Sven mused with a smirk. “He’ll keep them warm for you.”

“They’re not shaking because I’m cold. They’re shaking because I’m nervous.”

“What’s there to be nervous about?”

“Everything,” she answered, returning her hand to it’s spot on Kristoff’s arm. 

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of a loud whistle and the train slowly lurching forward, signifying that they were officially en route to Arendelle. 

Kristoff reached his free hand across his body to reassuringly place it over hers. “See? We made it. Hans can’t get us now.”

“He’s right,” Sven nodded. “One less thing to be worried about.”

“I still have to pretend to be the Princess,” she reminded them in a hushed voice. “How are we even going to find Queen Elsa? Surely she isn’t walking around all day searching for her sister.”

“I have a connection,” Sven answered. “I’m friendly with one of the Queen’s dearest friends. If we can get you to him, we can get you to the Queen.”

“How will you get in touch with him?”

“Oh, he’s very easy to find - a regular social butterfly. I’ll meet with him first, of course, and explain the situation. If he recognizes you, that’s your shoe-in to meet the Queen.”

She raised a questioning eyebrow. “And if he doesn’t?”

“We’ll go from there,” he said confidently. “There’s no use in worrying about the what-ifs until we get to that point.”

The group chatted for a while, pointing out different landmarks as they passed them. It happened to be a lovely night for a train ride; the weather was perfect, there weren’t many people smoking in their car, and in a few hours time, they’d be in Arendelle.

An hour into their journey, some commotion near the front of their car managed to startle them. All three of them tried to get a better look at what was happening, but it was difficult to tell from where they were sitting towards the back of the car. 

“I’ll go see what’s going on,” Sven offered, standing up and smoothing out his coat before walking away.

Anna sank lower in the seat, tightening her grip around Kristoff’s arm as her breathing grew heavy. Immediately noticing her discomfort, he looked down at her. “Hey, everything is going to be fine. We’re right next to the dining car; I’m sure it’s just some idiots fighting over booze or something.”

“And if it isn’t drunkards fighting over booze?”

“Sven and I are here. We’re not going to let anything happen.”

She shook her head. “What if it’s Hans?”

“It’s not Hans.”

“How do you know?”

“Because the train hasn’t stopped and he would’ve had to board back in the Southern Isles. Do you really think he’d be on the train this long without looking for us?”

“You’re right,” she breathed, her eyes widened with fear. “It couldn’t possibly be him...right?”

“Shhh,” he soothed, tilting her chin towards him before cupping her cheek with his hand. He looked her right in the eye as he promised, “We’re going to be fine.”

The sound of a gun firing caused them both to jump in place. A moment later, Sven rejoined them, out of breath from running.

“We...have a problem.”

Her heart pounded louder and faster as Kristoff inquired, “What’s going on?”

“It would appear that my photographer friend double-crossed me,” he answered, holding up a ‘wanted’ poster with their faces plastered on it. “Also, the Prince is aboard the train. A man was just shot in the dining car by a member of the King’s Guard.”

Anna shook her head, standing up from her seat. “I’m not staying on this train.”

“The train is moving! You can’t just walk off,” Kristoff pointed out.

“I don’t care, he’s looking for me.”

Before either of the men could attempt to calm her down, she took off towards the vestibule that connected their car to the next.

“You get her, I’ll grab the luggage,” Sven commanded, and Kristoff took off at a running pace to catch up to her.

When she finally reached the end of the last car, she stepped out onto the platform. The wind whipped past her as she looked over the edge of the platform, only to find that the train was still traveling over the sea. She was alone for less than a minute before Kristoff caught up to her, hastily pushing open the door so he could join her on the platform.

“What are you doing?” Kristoff asked, breathless from chasing her along the length of the train.

“I need to get off this train.”

“Are you crazy?!”

“I don’t want him to kill me!”

“Anna, we’re over water! If you jump, it’s not going to be pretty,” he pleaded, before hesitantly adding, “You _will_ die.”

She didn’t answer, and instead braced her hands against the cool metal bars that surrounded the tiny platform, looking over the edge at the water down below. As her heart pounded in her ears, a pair of strong hands wrapped around her waist and pulled her away from the edge before twisting her so that she’d be facing him. 

“We’re almost over land. Just...wait,” he begged, pulling her closer to him and holding her head against his chest.

“Okay,” she agreed, barely managing to hold back tears. She wrapped her arms around his waist. “Where’s Sven?”

“He’s grabbing our bags,” Kristoff explained, looking down at her as he stroked her hair. “God, Anna, you scared the shit out of me. I thought you were going to jump.”

“I’m sorry,” she cried. “I don’t want Hans to kill me. Or you, or Sven.”

The door opened again, and Sven stepped onto the platform, one luggage tucked under his arm and the other two in each of his hands. “I’ve got everything.”

“Are they looking for us?” Anna whimpered.

Sven nodded. “Like there’s no tomorrow.”

“We can’t go anywhere yet,” Kristoff said as he tightened his grip on her, fearing that she’d break free and jump. “We’re over water.”

Sven peered over the edge. “Yes, that’s a bit of a problem, isn’t it?”

“Hopefully they’re turning the entire train upside down looking for us. Once we hit land, we can get off.”

“I’ll keep a lookout,” the other man said, keeping his gaze focused on the upcoming territory.

He looked down at her again. “I hope you’re prepared to endure a _very_ long walk through the woods to the Kingdom.”

“I don’t care, just as long as we’re away from Hans.”

“Not much longer now,” Sven informed them. “We’re almost there.”

“Get ready to jump, okay?” Kristoff prompted.

She nodded, and he finally loosened his grasp on her. As soon as the last car pulled over the lush green terrain, Sven tossed the suitcases over the edge before jumping off. 

“Do you want me to go first?” Kristoff offered.

“Let’s go together,” she insisted, holding her hand out to him. He accepted it and seconds later, they were colliding with the hard, unforgiving ground of the dark forest.

“Are you alright?” Sven called.

Kristoff groaned as he sat up, rubbing his head. “I think so.”

“Any broken limbs?”

“No.” 

With another moan, he pushed himself off the ground and then offered her his hand, which she took, grateful that he was willing to help her up. She brushed the dirt of her skirt and coat, waiting for Sven to join them with the luggage.

“Luckily, the suitcases are still in impeccable condition,” he remarked, as he handed them their bags. “And now, we walk.”

They walked through the dense forest, keeping an eye on the train tracks to ensure they were heading in the right direction, the moonlight guiding them through the dark terrain. 

After a significant amount of walking, Kristoff said, “If you feel like you can’t go any further, you can always hop on my back and I can carry you.”

“I don’t think it’s me you have to worry about,” she giggled, looking back at Sven, who was struggling to keep up with them. 

“Yeah, well, I’m not extending that offer to him.”

“When do you think we’ll make it to the Kingdom?”

“A couple of hours,” he guessed. “We just have to keep following the tracks.”

“I suppose we won’t be sleeping in a hotel tonight.”

“Doesn’t look like it.”

She sighed. “I was really looking forward to sleeping in a bed.”

“Tomorrow night, for sure.”

“We’re going to be awfully tired by the time tomorrow night rolls around if we don’t get any sleep tonight.”

“I know, but I’m not familiar with these woods. Who knows what’s lurking out here.”

“Maybe if we walk faster we _can_ make it to a hotel?” she asked optimistically.

“You’ll have to break the news to Sven,” he chuckled.

“Why do you two walk so fast?” Sven called breathlessly, as if on cue. “I can’t keep up.”

They both laughed, pausing for a long enough span of time to allow him to catch up to them. The trio continued to walk through the night, deciding against sleeping and persistent to reach the Kingdom by morning. Just as daylight broke, Arendelle’s skyline came into view.

“We made it!” Sven cried excitedly. “Arendelle!”

“We did?” Anna asked, her heart racing from the anticipation. They were still far away from the Kingdom itself, but she felt like her dream had finally come true.

“Look for yourself.” Kristoff pointed to the spires of the castle far off in the distance. “That’s where you’re going to live.”

Overwhelmed by gratitude, she attempted to pull both men into a group hug. “Thank you both for helping me get here. I can’t believe we actually did this!”

“You’re welcome,” Sven laughed, before breaking away from the pair.

“What he said,” Kristoff chuckled.

“And thank you for protecting me today, Kristoff,” she gushed, looking into his eyes. “I know you weren’t happy about being my fake husband, but you’ve really been nothing but wonderful to me this entire time.”

He half smiled, squeezing her tightly before pulling away. “Anytime.”

She stared off into the distance as he caught up with Sven, unable to shake the feeling that she was home. One step at a time, she was on the path to paving her future. Arriving in Arendelle would be the stepping stone for her other dreams to come to pass - it was a place where she’d have a home, a family, and someone to love her and keep her safe. The one thing left to do was find whoever it was that was waiting for her. 

With a smile, she ran to catch up with her friends.

* * *

“What do you mean ‘they aren’t on the train?’”

“We’ve searched the train from top to bottom, Your Highness. They’re not on the train.”

“The train hasn’t stopped,” Hans boomed. “Where are they?”

“They must’ve jumped off,” the officer guessed with a shrug. 

“I don’t understand how it’s possible for you to lose _three_ people. You’re telling me that they walked off this train and escaped?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“I can’t trust you fools to do anything,” he said angrily, pushing past the guard to address the group that had gathered around them. “Three wanted criminals just escaped off of a _moving train_. This is your one and only warning - if that woman makes it to the Queen before we find her, you’ll never see the light of day again. Understood?”

The men surrounding him nodded and mumbled that they understood his warning. His worst fear had come to pass; she escaped right under his nose three years prior and somehow, someway it managed to happen again. Locating her in Arendelle was going to be much more difficult than arresting her on the train, but he wasn’t going to rest until he found her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sincerely hope my portrayal of a train in the 1920s was accurate - unfortunately, it was very difficult for me to find information about what trains were like in the ‘20s. Most of the information included is based on Pullman trains. My knowledge of the era is limited to The Golden Age of Hollywood and not much else, so it's been hard to narrow down information XD


	6. In a Crowd of Thousands

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!!!! I’m *so* excited that I finally get to post this chapter. You’ll notice that title of the fic and this chapter have the same name and that’s because the song it’s based off of is a pretty crucial turning point for Anna and Kristoff. I’ve been excited about this chapter since the day I started writing this fic, so I’m super happy that we’re finally here. I hope you enjoy this chapter!!!! Also:
> 
> ***I want everyone to know that the wonderful and talented [Bix](https://frozen-vikings.tumblr.com/) drew the *most* amazing fanart of [Anna and Kristoff holding each other](https://frozen-vikings.tumblr.com/post/640654116393304064/she-attempted-to-shake-her-head-hes-going-to) (featuring bonus Sven!!) from Chapter 3 of this fic!!!! Please, please, please check out the link to her lovely art and her amazing blog!!!!!! Thank you for drawing this, Bix, it’s absolutely beautiful and it means so much to me that you would draw art based on something I wrote. I'm totally obsessed with it!!!!! <3333***

Elsa stared longingly out of her bedroom window. Yet another day had passed without her sister in her life, and somehow, each day grew more and more painful.

Her biggest regret was letting Anna leave that fateful day; the young woman was so insistent upon staying and Elsa practically pushed her away. In hindsight, she’d had good intentions. She wanted her sister to enjoy a trip to the Southern Isles with their parents. But if she could turn back the clock, she would have insisted Anna stayed after all. 

The uncertainty of it all was what hurt the most. There was a part of her that wanted to believe that Anna was alive and well, but the reality was more harrowing. Either she was dead, or someone was keeping her captive somewhere, torturing her. It was dangerous to dream that Anna was alive, and trying to find her way back home, and sooner or later, she would have to come to terms with her sister's demise. 

She knew exactly what time it was as the door to her room opened and a cautious set of footsteps approached her.

“How many letters today?” she asked, not bothering to turn around.

“Only three.”

“How did they address me?”

“All as ‘Your Majesty.’”

“Throw them away,” she quivered. “Anna would never call me that. She’d call me ‘Elsa.’”

“Your Majesty -”

She finally turned around. “Please excuse yourself. I’d like to be alone.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

When the door was finally closed, she resumed looking out the window - dreaming, hoping, and wishing that one day, her sister would return.

* * *

Sven had just made it to his fifth bar of the day when luck struck him. He wasn’t drinking, but he was on the lookout for someone who most likely was - one of the Queen’s oldest friends and notorious social butterfly, Olaf Olsen. 

As he entered the bar, he heard a familiar laugh and came to the realization that after hours of searching, he had _finally_ arrived at the right place. Sure enough, as he sauntered inside, he spotted the blond man sitting towards the back of the crowded bar with a dark-haired woman. Taking a deep breath, he approached them and caught Olaf’s attention.

“Hello, Olaf.”

“Hey! Sven!” the jovial blond man called, recognizing him immediately. “I haven’t seen you in years!”

He extended his hand and Olaf excitedly shook it. “I got trapped in the Southern Isles when travel shut down.”

“Oof, that’s a rough place to be,” Olaf scoffed. “How are you?”

“I’m alright. And yourself?” 

“I’m fantastic,” Olaf grinned, before patting the empty barstool next to him. “Have a seat, I’ll buy you a drink.”

He graciously sat down, sensing that the interaction was already going well. 

“Butt me,” Olaf said to the dark-haired woman sitting next to him. She promptly handed him a cigarette. “Would you like one, Sven?”

“No thank you, I don’t smoke.”

He leaned in before whispering, “We don’t either, but it’s customary. You just _pretend_ to smoke it.”

Sven nodded knowingly, and the dark-haired woman handed him the cigarette before striking a match and lighting it for him. “Thank you.”

“Oh! How rude of me to not introduce the two of you,” Olaf said. “Honeymaren, this is Sven. And Sven, this is Honeymaren. Honeymaren here is best pals with the Queen.”

“I thought that was your title,” Sven jested, as he shook hands with the woman.

“It was, until this one swooped in and stole her away from me!” Olaf laughed boisterously, causing Honeymaren to erupt into her own fit of laughter. 

“I did not,” she said, poking his arm. “We’ve _both_ earned the title of ‘Elsa’s best friend.’ And we’re excellent friends with each other, too.”

“Which is why we come here for a drink when she’s in one of her _moods_.” Olaf rolled his eyes playfully.

“She’s mourning,” Honeymaren reminded him gently. “I don’t think you’d take it so well if your sister was dead.”

“I don’t have a sister, but Anna was special to me. I miss her too.” Before Sven could interject, Olaf turned to him and changed the subject. “Did you know that alcohol is _still_ banned in the United States? Seven years in with no end in sight! Could you imagine?”

Though alcohol hadn’t been expressly forbidden in the Southern Isles, it was rather difficult to obtain. As a result, Sven hadn’t had a drop of the stuff in the years he spent over there. “No, I can’t.”

“I don’t know how they do it!” He threw his hands up in the air. “Ooh! And did you know that there’s a rumor that Hollywood is putting out it’s first film with _sound_ this year? Sound! Isn’t that incredible?”

“Unbelievable,” Sven agreed, though he’d never seen a film of any sort. He had an awful lot of catching up to do.

When the bartender approached them, Olaf held up three fingers. “The usual, please.”

A moment later, the bartender returned with three servings of whiskey. As Sven stared at the brown liquid set before him, he had no idea how he was going to broach the topic of Anna. Talking about her seemed to be a bit of a touchy subject for Olaf and Honeymaren, and he needed to go about it properly.

He couldn’t outright say ‘I need you to meet my friend who looks and acts like Princess Anna, your missing friend.’ He needed to _trick_ Olaf into meeting her.

“If you’re free tomorrow night, Olaf, I’d love to treat you to dinner,” Sven said finally, taking a sip of the liquor and grimacing as it burned his throat. “We could catch up.”

“I’m actually accompanying Elsa to the ballet tomorrow night. We’re going to see _Swan Lake_.”

“ _She’s_ accompanying _you_ ,” Honeymaren pointed out with a sly grin before turning to Sven. “She’s not fond of the ballet.”

“ _You're_ not fond of the ballet. Elsa’s going to love it!”

“I’m not too sure about that…”

“I’d love to attend the ballet,” Sven remarked, staring at his whiskey and feigning disappointment, aware that Olaf was good-natured and would most likely provide him with tickets. Just knowing that the Queen would be attending the ballet was enough of a reason to try to get Anna in there; if the Queen saw her and recognized her without any interaction, it would be smooth sailing from that point forward.

“I can get you a ticket,” Olaf offered predictably. “Perhaps a box seat?”

“Well, you see, my two friends came along with me and I would hate to exclude them. Thank you for the generous offer, though.”

“I can get three tickets. It wouldn’t be a problem.”

“I’m afraid that we don’t have the appropriate attire for attending the ballet, either. It’s probably not the best idea.”

“Say no more,” Olaf smiled. “I can get you whatever you need. Three tuxedos, yes?”

“Two tuxedos and an evening gown. My friends are married - and you know how married couples are. I needed a break from them today.”

Olaf and Honeymaren laughed amusedly at his quip. “Don’t fret. I’m friends with a few clothiers and I’m sure they’d be more than happy to provide you with what you need. I’ll call them and let them know you’re coming.” 

“That would be wonderful! Thank you.”

Olaf smiled. “Anything for you, old friend.”

“I’d love for my friends to meet you,” Sven added. “Perhaps after the show we could meet up for a drink?”

“You know that I’d never turn down the opportunity for a drink,” Olaf grinned before turning to the dark-haired woman. “Do you suppose I could convince Elsa to come out for a drink tomorrow night?”

Honeymaren snorted. “Good luck with that. I’m still shocked that you managed to convince her to accompany you to the ballet.”

“It would truly be an honor to meet the Queen. If she’d want to meet a civilian like myself, of course,” Sven responded.

“I can’t make any promises. She loves meeting the public, but she isn’t a fan of bars and giggle water.”

“I understand,” Sven nodded. He was going to get Anna to the Queen one way or another, and so long as Anna met Olaf, the rest would be history.

“I’d love to meet your friends,” Honeymaren mused, resting her cheek in the palm of her hand.

“You’re always invited!” Olaf exclaimed. “You were invited to the ballet, too, remember?”

“Yes, but as we just discussed, I’m not fond of the ballet. I’m very fond of this bar, though.”

“It’s all settled then!”

Sven couldn’t help but feel triumphant; he always knew that Olaf was his ‘in,’ but he hadn’t imagined that it would be this simple. In a little over a day, their fates would be sealed. 

* * *

Despite the fact that it had been nearly two days since he’d last slept, Kristoff found himself unable to sleep. What definitely was not helping was that he was squeezed onto the tiny couch while Sven was snoring loudly from the bed just a few feet away. He cursed Sven for putting him in this situation, and found himself thinking back to their earlier conversation.

_“Hello,” Sven said to the desk clerk. “I’d like two rooms right next door to each other if possible. One for me, and one for my friend and his wife.”_

_“You’re not_ actually _making me share with Anna, are you?” he asked in a hushed voice, once the transaction had been completed._

_“Of course not, that’d be a bit scandalous. Not that I personally care, but she’s a Princess with a reputation to uphold.”_

_“But you got two rooms with one double bed each.”_

_“It’s part of the illusion,” Sven insisted. “You’re sleeping on the couch in my room.”_

_“The couch?” he whined._

_“The couch is better than the floor.”_

He contemplated sleeping on the floor now - it would certainly be roomier than the couch he was currently trying to get comfortable on. What added insult to injury was the fact that Sven and Anna were both sleeping soundly while he was struggling. He was envious of both of them, wishing more than anything that he, too, was asleep.

Thinking of Anna triggered his memory of earlier that day, when he’d accompanied her around Arendelle as she shopped for new clothes. He didn’t actually go into any of the shops, but rather waited outside and kept a lookout for Hans or any other sort of trouble. 

_“All of the women in the shops were_ so _nice to me!” she said, when she’d finally finished her shopping for the day._

_He took her bags and was carrying them with one hand, his other arm linked with hers. “That’s great.”_

_“I can’t wait to show you everything I bought!”_

When they returned to the hotel a little while later, she laid all of her new clothing items on her bed for him to see. She was so eager to show him everything she bought that she forgot to exclude a new white nightgown and a few unmentionables. 

_“You probably shouldn’t be showing me all of this,” he chuckled. “It’s inappropriate.”_

_She scoffed, rolling her eyes playfully and gently swatting his arm. “You’re my_ friend. _I have no one else to show!”_

He couldn’t help but smile; she was so innocent, and carefree, and generally unbothered by social norms. 

Unfortunately, his smile didn’t last long as he shifted once again on the couch, trying to make himself comfortable. He threw his arm over his face and groaned. He’d forgone a bed for _years_ and now that he finally had a decent surface to sleep on, he couldn’t actually fall asleep? It seemed too ironic.

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed, or if he actually slept at all when he opened his eyes next. It was still pitch-black outside, so it couldn't have been very long, but there was a distinct sound coming from next-door. A sobbing, choking noise. He couldn’t tell if it was coming from Anna’s room, or the room on the other side, but nevertheless, he got up to investigate. 

He pressed his ear against the door that connected their room to Anna’s and sure enough, the crying noises were coming from her room. His heart sank; he had no idea why she was crying, but feared the worst - what if Hans had found her? As he continued to listen, it became obvious that she was alone. 

Still, he wasn’t fond of the idea of leaving her alone during such a vulnerable moment, so he softly rapped the knuckle of his index finger against the door, hoping it’d be loud enough for her to hear.

The door popped open a moment later.

“Kristoff,” Anna said, frantically wiping at her cheeks. “I’m sorry, did I wake you?”

“No, I couldn’t sleep. Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” she answered quickly. “Just another nightmare.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” he offered gently.

She sniffled, shaking her head. “You don’t have to do that. I have them all the time, I’ll be okay.”

“I just figured it’d make you feel better.”

“Okay,” she agreed with a small nod, stepping out of the doorframe so he could enter her room. 

They each took a seat on her bed and after a moment of silence, Kristoff finally spoke up. “What was the nightmare about?”

“It was the same as always,” she explained, brushing away her tears as they fell. “Loud noises and flashing lights. Lots of yelling. I hate them so much.”

He frowned. “I know you hate them. I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. I was hoping that I would have a dream tonight, because I finally feel safe. I’m inside of a building, and the door is locked, and I have a bed. But I was wrong.”

“Maybe when you go back to sleep you’ll feel better,” he suggested. “Sometimes I have nightmares, but when I go back to sleep they don’t come back.”

“Really?”

He nodded. “I wouldn’t lie to you.”

“I’m not ready to go back to sleep yet. Can we keep talking?”

“Of course. Did you have fun today?”

“I did,” she smiled, before wiping at her nose with the back of her hand. “Arendelle is so beautiful and everyone here is really nice.”

“I told you,” he smirked. “And you’re going to get to live here, forever.”

“Yeah,” she nodded, her smile fading away. “Do you really think I’m her? Princess Anna?”

He chewed on the inside of his cheek as he contemplated his answer. “I think that if I were Queen Elsa, I would want you to be Princess Anna.”

“How come?”

“Well, you’re beautiful and brave and smart, and that’s exactly the type of young woman I would hope the Princess is.”

“That’s what you think of me?” she inquired with a shy smile, resting her hand on top of his and gently squeezing his fingers.

“Of course,” he answered, without skipping a beat.

“What about you, though? Who do _you_ think I am?”

“I want to believe you’re her, too. That you’re the little girl I saw at the parade.”

Her eyes widened. “You saw Princess Anna?”

“Only once, and it was a long time ago. I was eleven years old and to the best of my recollection, it was the only parade that the Royal Family was ever part of. I don’t remember the occasion, though.”

“What else do you remember?”

“It was a hot summer day and the sun was beaming down and making everything hotter. And the crowd - oh my god, the crowd was huge. There must have been thousands of people there.”

“Thousands?”

“Tens of thousands,” he nodded. “Because I was a kid, I couldn’t see over the crowd. So I weaseled my way to the front so I could get a good look at the King and the Queen and their daughters. Everyone was cheering and screaming.”

“You must’ve been very excited.”

“I was,” he chuckled. “So, the Royal Family starts passing by in their carriage - and there was Princess Anna, poised like a queen even though she was only a little kid. Her sister, Princess Elsa, was rather stoic and shy, but Princess Anna was smiling and waving at everyone. I managed to catch her attention when I called out her name and she smiled right at me.”

“What happened after that?”

“That’s how it ends, really. The parade kept going and the guards stopped me from chasing after their carriage. But if I could go back in time, I’d find her again in that huge crowd of people.”

“You’re a good storyteller,” she smiled. “I almost feel like I was there, too.”

“You can make it part of your story, if you want. Maybe you were there.”

She closed her eyes, trying to imagine what the parade was like. “There was a parade in the summertime. It was a very hot day, and a little boy caught my attention. He was front and center in the crowd, and he called out my name.”

“See? Isn’t it just like you were there?”

She nodded, still smiling. “I noticed the boy and smiled at him, and then he bowed to me.”

Kristoff’s face fell; he’d never told her that. He’d never told _anyone_ that he bowed to Princess Anna as a child. “I didn’t tell you that.”

Her eyes blinked open and her hands flew to cover her mouth. “You didn’t have to. I remember.”

He jumped off the bed and she quickly followed after him. “Y-you do?”

“I was there. With my family, in the carriage. The parade was for my birthday. And you were there...in the crowd, calling my name. Kristoff, I remember!” she exclaimed, before reaching up to touch his face. “Oh, if I could go back I’d find you, too.”

He was still trying to process what had just happened. “You’re her. You’re Princess Anna.”

She blinked. “I...yes. I guess I am.”

He took a step away from her before bowing. “Your Highness -”

“No, no! None of that, please.”

“What? Why?”

“Because you’re my friend and I just want to be ‘Anna’ to you.”

“But -”

“Please,” she begged. 

It felt wrong to not address her formally, but nevertheless, he respected her wishes and straightened his posture. “I should go. You should try to go back to sleep.”

She grabbed his wrist. “Please stay tonight.”

“I can’t.”

“Please. I feel so much safer when you’re with me.”

“Fine,” he relented. “I’ll sleep on your couch. Sven relegated me to the couch in our room, anyway.”

“No! I want you to hold me.”

He shook his head. “Anna, that’s...incredibly inappropriate. I can’t lay in bed with you.”

“No one would know except me and you.”

“You’re a Princess. You have a reputation to uphold. It may seem innocent enough to you, but if anyone finds out about it there could be serious consequences.”

“Five minutes ago, we didn’t know for certain if I was the Princess, remember?”

“Yeah…” 

She crossed her arms over her chest and tried her best to sound stern as she said, “Well, as the Princess, I command you to stay.”

“I don’t think it works like that.”

“But I’ll feel so much better if you stay,” she whimpered, pushing out her lower lip.

“Okay,” he sighed, slumping his shoulders in defeat. “But as soon as you fall asleep, I’m going back to my room. I really can’t stay here all night.”

She didn’t answer, instead choosing to hop onto the bed and pat the empty space next to her, obviously proud that she’d won the argument. He hesitated for a moment before joining her, slowly climbing onto the bed and settling into his side but not bothering to pull the sheets over their bodies.

As soon as he stopped fidgeting, she rested her head on his chest and gripped onto the front of his shirt with her hand. Instinctively, he rested one hand on her back and the other on top of her forearm.

“Thank you for staying,” she whispered, peering up at him through her eyelashes.

“Of course.”

It only took a few minutes for her to drift off. He knew she was finally asleep when her shaky breaths transitioned to soft snores and the hand pressed against his chest relaxed. Holding his own breath, he dropped the hand that was resting on her back and tried to slide away, but as soon as he moved, she stirred slightly. 

He exhaled exasperatedly, realizing that he was trapped and there was no way to get away from her without disturbing her. He felt conflicted; he should’ve known better than to give in to her, but at the same time, he wanted her to feel protected and safe. She had succumbed to sleep so easily in his arms, most likely reassured by the fact that if she woke up again, he’d be there to comfort her.

Finally accepting his fate, he finally reached down and pulled the sheets over them before pressing a gentle kiss to her hairline and closing his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay more liberties!!!! That ending certainly wasn't included in the stage show, but here we are again lol XD I didn’t initially plan on including Honeymaren in this fic, but she wrote herself in and I ain’t mad at it because I love her. Also, I have no idea if adjoining hotels rooms existed in the ‘20s (and Google refused to help, as usual), but I did find a source saying that hotel rooms in the ‘30s usually consisted of one double bed or two twin beds, as king and queen sized mattresses apparently really exist until the ‘50s (but please feel free to correct me if that’s wrong). 
> 
> Also, as a glossary for the “1920s slang” words used in this fic (taken from the website “Our Community Now”).  
> Butt Me - Another way of saying, "I'd like a cigarette."  
> Giggle Water - Alcohol
> 
> The film with sound Olaf is referring to is _The Jazz Singer_ \- a “talkie” that came out in October of 1927. It was the first film with synchronized sound, which effectively ended the silent film era. I don’t know if people actually knew far in advance that it was going to have sound, but for the purpose of this fic, Olaf does XD Fun fact! The 1952 film _Singin’ in the Rain_ delves into the switch from silent films to “talkies.” I told you all of my knowledge is pretty limited to The Golden Age of Hollywood XD.


	7. Quartet at the Ballet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!!! We’re basically in the home stretch - either two or three more chapters to go!!! I’m still flying by the seat of my pants with this fic, but that’s what I get for starting it so impulsively XD Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!!!

“Where is she?” Kristoff asked nervously, as he paced back and forth in front of the theatre, careful to avoid walking into any of the other theatregoers.

“Careful there,” Sven warned. “You’re going to wear a hole in your shoes if you keep walking like that.”

“I don’t care about the shoes,” he grumbled. “It’s almost time for the show to start. Where’s Anna?”

“She’ll be here.”

“What if Hans got to her? I knew I shouldn’t have let her out of my sight.”

Sven rolled his eyes. “She’s _fine._ ”

“Well, then, why isn’t she here yet?”

“Because it takes a long time for women to get ready,” Sven pointed out, before grabbing Kristoff’s arm. “You’re going to make me vomit if you keep walking in circles like that.”

“I’m nervous, okay? I’m supposed to protect her and keep her safe.”

“You do realize that you’re not her actual husband, right?”

“Of course!” he exclaimed, growing slightly defensive. “If Hans gets his hands on here we’ll never get our reward money. That’s my primary concern, after all.”

“Sure,” Sven scoffed. “That’s why you slept in her bed last night.”

“You really think I wanted to stay there? And ruin her reputation?” Kristoff asked. “She had a nightmare and refused to let me leave. And don’t forget, her attachment to me is _your_ fault.”

Sven raised an eyebrow. “My fault?”

“Oh, don’t go acting all innocent now. You forced us to dance, you pushed her into my arms when she was upset, and what else? Oh yeah, you gave her my last name and forced us to play the role of a married couple.”

“You’ve also spent plenty of time with her on your own accord, took her shopping, prevented her from jumping off a moving train _and_ saved her from a confrontation with Daniel and Ruben. Cuddling her in bed is just the icing on top of the cake.”

“She wanted me there,” Kristoff maintained. “I wasn’t planning on staying the night. Every time I tried to move she woke up.”

“You looked awfully comfortable with your nose buried in her hair and your arm around her.”

“She wanted to sleep on my chest! What was I supposed to do? Push her away?”

Sven shrugged. “What will you do tonight if she expects you to stay with her again?”

Kristoff didn’t answer; truth be told, he didn’t know what he would do if Anna wanted him to stay again. It wasn’t like sleeping together was something either of them could get used to - at the end of the day, she was a Princess and they weren’t actually married. It was scandalous and inappropriate, and he knew he’d have to come up with a plan to get her comfortable with sleeping on her own.

Though, he’d be lying to himself if he denied that he enjoyed holding her in his arms for the duration of the night. It was the most soundly he’d slept in months and knowing that he’d made her feel safe was extremely gratifying. He didn’t even mind that she drooled on his shirt in her slumber - in fact, he found it to be endearing. 

“She’s still not here yet,” he said, intentionally changing the subject. 

“Will you relax? Let the woman breathe. She doesn’t have to be attached to your hip at all times.”

“You’re right, she doesn’t. I’m just worried about her safety.”

“Don’t fret.”

A car pulled right in front of where they were standing, and the driver got out and raced around to the sidewalk to open the door for his passenger. Kristoff’s jaw nearly hit the ground as the passenger stepped out, revealing herself to be Anna.

She was wearing a long, emerald green gown adorned with jewels and paired with white gloves that ended just above her elbows. Her hair was ornately pinned up and accessorized with a jewel embellished hair comb. When she saw the two of them standing by the entrance to the theatre, she excitedly waved.

Sven nudged him before whispering, “Close your mouth, you look like a fool.”

She rushed over to them. “I’m so sorry to keep you both waiting, the ladies in the salon were keen on making sure I looked perfect for tonight.”

“You’re right on time,” Sven assured her.

She smiled brightly. “Oh, you both look so dapper in your tuxedos!”

Kristoff was still staring at her, wide-eyed. “You look…”

“Spit it out,” Sven prodded.

“Stunning,” he said finally, unable to tear his eyes away from her.

“Thank you,” she blushed, looking down at the dress. “I thought the dress would be too extravagant, but the clothier insisted that I wear it. She said I’d leave a lasting impression on everyone who sees me in it.”

“Well, you’ve managed to rob Kristoff of his voice, so I’d say it’s very effective.”

“I, uh…” he stammered. 

“See,” Sven laughed heartily, causing Anna to giggle. “Now before we go on there, there’s something I have to tell you both.”

Kristoff finally managed to snap out of his trance. “Yes?”

“The Queen is going to be here tonight.”

“She is?!” Anna asked excitedly.

Sven nodded. “If all goes well, she’ll be joining us at the bar tonight after the show. If not, you’re still going to be able to meet my friends and they’re going to be your ‘in’ to meet the Queen.”

“What wonderful news! I can’t believe it’s happening this quickly!”

“I know,” Sven nodded, before pulling their tickets out of his pocket and handing two to Kristoff. “We ought to head inside now. The show is going to begin shortly.”

Kristoff nodded before extending his arm to Anna, who eagerly accepted. She picked up her dress in her other hand, and they walked into the foyer of the theatre. After checking their tickets, an usher escorted the trio to their seats in the lower, stage left box and handed each of them a program. 

“This is so fancy,” Anna commented, as she took her seat between the two men. “I’ve never been to the ballet before - that I can remember, at least.”

“Me either,” Kristoff remarked. 

“Do you know what _Swan Lake_ is about?”

“I don’t.” 

Sven leaned in towards them and discretely pointed to the lower, stage right box where a young man and woman sat. “That’s Queen Elsa, and our mutual friend, Olaf.”

Anna raised a hand to cover her mouth; she immediately recognized her sister. Though only the tiniest bit of her memory had returned, she would know this woman anywhere. She didn’t quite recognize Olaf, the man accompanying her, but he had an air of familiarity about him. She hoped that meeting him would jog her memory in the same way that Kristoff talking about the parade the previous night had helped her to remember that she was there.

“That’s her,” she whispered. “My sister.”

The lights dimmed, then, and she wrapped both of her hands around Kristoff’s arm, gently squeezing it. He looked down at her and smiled before they turned their attention to the space in front of them as the music roared from the orchestra pit and the dancers took to the stage.

* * *

Elsa was, admittedly, not a fan of the ballet. While she could hardly deny that the dancers were beautiful and elegant and deserving of her full attention, her mind was always wandering. It was a stark contrast to a younger version of herself, in which she could sit still for hours at a time and focus on anything set before her. Some years ago, she enjoyed the ballet. Now, she wished she could avoid it. But as the Queen, it was her duty to make public appearances and show her support for the performers. As Olaf’s friend, it was her duty to _try_ to participate in things that made him happy - he’d always done as much for her.

Since Anna had gone missing, though, it had become difficult to enjoy anything life had to offer. She was constantly wishing that her sister was with her, experiencing all that life had to offer. It was hard to not think of Anna; who enjoyed the ballet in the past and certainly would’ve enjoyed this production. She would’ve fallen in love with the story and the costumes, and she would’ve been gushing about how wonderful the production was for days after. It was a sad reality that she wasn’t present in this very moment, enjoying the ballet alongside her sister. 

Elsa glanced around the room, watching different members of the audience react to the show with their facial expressions. It was a welcome distraction from the actual ballet, which still managed to capture the slightest bit of her attention from time to time. 

Until she spotted the woman sitting in the box on the opposite side of the stage.

Her breath hitched in her throat as she stared at her, completely losing interest in the ballet. The woman looked exactly like Anna. Though it was hard to make out her features from a distance, the woman’s red hair was what stood out the most; it was elegantly twirled into an updo and she was wearing a ravishing, dark green dress that stood out against her pale skin. The woman looked content and at ease as she watched the ballerinas whirled around the stage, occasionally glancing up at the man beside her. Her gloved hands were wrapped around his arm, and whenever something on the stage appeared to excite her, she’d squeeze him and he’d lovingly look down at her.

She wasn’t sure how long she stared at them for, but it felt as if time had stopped existing. The walls in the theatre began to close around her as her breaths grew more and more shallow.

This woman couldn’t be Anna. Anna was dead. 

She had to stop this game; she had to stop believing, hoping, _dreaming_ that her sister was alive. She would never be reunited with Anna, and it was time to give up. It was far too dangerous to keep heading down this path rooted in fantasy. 

Elsa pulled on Olaf’s jacket. “Olaf, we have to leave.”

“What? Why?” he asked in a hushed voice.

“I can’t stay here,” she whispered. “We have to go.”

“But it’s only the second act. There are still two more acts.”

Her eyes welled up with tears as she croaked, “I don’t care, we have to leave.”

“Okay,” he agreed worriedly, immediately standing up and looping his arm around hers. “Let’s go.”

* * *

From the top, stage right box, Hans had a perfect view of Anna and her miscreants. He was certain that they couldn’t see him, as their eyes were glued to the performance on the stage in front of them, captivated by the ballerinas.

It’d been so easy to find her that it became obvious that he was the least of their concerns. He managed to follow her associate to every bar in Arendelle for an entire day and the man had not once noticed the stranger lurking behind him. He didn’t even notice as he sat close to him in the bar and eavesdropped on his conversation with the Queen’s friends. Their blatant disregard of safety was almost laughable to him. 

Though he had yet to come up with a plan, watching Anna cling to her ‘husband’ made his stomach turn. He’d ascertained that they were, indeed, unmarried and couldn’t help but wonder if the bastard had taken advantage of her poor memory and convinced her that they were wed. It was sickening that he’d come up with such an elaborate plot to steal her virtue, but Hans imagined that if he’d been in her husband’s shoes, he would’ve done the same.

He supposed he could kill them both. _Or_ he could kill her bastard of a husband and take her for himself. Either way, someone was going to die at his hand and he was going to get what he wanted. 

* * *

“I wasn’t expecting _Swan Lake_ to be so sad,” Anna commented, as they walked out of the theatre later that night. “Why did they have to die?”

“I don’t know,” Kristoff answered, looking down at her. “But they died together, so at least neither of them had to live with grief.”

“Yeah, but it would’ve been better if they both _lived_. It would’ve been a much happier ending.”

“I know,” he agreed. “But not everything in life has a happy ending.”

She frowned. “I guess you’re right.”

Suddenly remembering Anna’s intense fear of death and her constant worrying about Hans finding her, he attempted to comfort her. “It was only a show. It doesn’t mean that the things that happened are _actually_ going to happen. All of those girls were transformed into swans and that certainly can’t happen.”

“That’s true.”

“Come on, lovebirds!” Sven called from a few feet ahead of them. “We have somewhere important to be.”

“I don’t think he realizes how irritating he is,” Kristoff muttered.

Anna giggled. “He only has our best interests in mind.”

“Maybe he has your best interests in mind, but I know for a fact that he’s trying to get under my skin. He’s been doing it all day.”

“Has he?”

“Yeah,” he sighed. 

“Sorry that I wasn’t there to defend you,” she said, offering him a small but apologetic smile.

“It’s not your fault. You had other business to attend to.”

“Like getting my hair done and picking up my dress,” she stated. 

“Yeah, exactly.”

“It was weird to spend time away from you. I missed you.”

“I missed you, too,” he confessed. “I was worried sick the entire time.”

“Really?” 

He nodded. “Especially when we were waiting outside the theatre. I was so worried that Hans found you and that was why you weren’t there.”

“I was worried that he’d find me, too. But luckily I was surrounded by other women all day and they arranged for the car to drive me to the theatre so I didn’t have to walk alone.”

“That’s good,” he said. “And you look really beautiful.”

“Thank you, Kristoff,” she blushed. “You look quite handsome yourself.”

“Pick up the pace!” Sven interrupted, before he could thank her.

He shook his head. “We should make haste, Sven is getting cranky.”

“Yeah,” she agreed. “We can talk more when we retire to my room tonight.”

“About that…”

“What?”

“I don’t know if I should stay with you again. It’s not...proper.”

“But you kept me safe,” she argued. “I slept so well, and I didn’t have any more nightmares because you were holding me.”

“I know. I slept really well, too. I’m just worried about your reputation.”

“I don’t care about my reputation,” she scoffed. “There is a man wandering around Arendelle looking for me and he won’t hesitate to kill me if he finds me. I don’t feel safe on my own, but when I’m with you I feel safe. And if that tarnishes my reputation - well, I’d rather be a living tramp than a dead saint.”

He hesitated for a moment. “You’re right.”

“So you’ll stay?”

“I’ll stay,” he promised against his better judgment. He had to admit, she had excellent persuasion skills. It didn’t help that he’d go to the ends of the earth if he knew it’d make her happy.

“You’re the best!” she squealed, rising on her toes to press a chaste kiss to his cheek. 

He blushed furiously, but before he could respond, Sven stopped them in front of a building.

“This is it?” Anna asked excitedly, to which Sven nodded.

"This is the place," he confirmed. 

They entered the crowded, smoke-filled bar and Sven led them towards the back, intentionally keeping Anna hidden behind him. She couldn’t believe how many people were there; everyone was sipping drinks or dancing to the music that band was playing. It was a stark difference from the ambience in the Southern Isles. To her recollection, there weren’t any bars there and there was no fun to be had. 

“Olaf! Honeymaren!” Sven yelled, jovially. 

She heard two muffled voices respond to him and she attempted to peek around his body when he suddenly turned around. “These are my friends, Kristoff and -”

“Anna?” Olaf murmured, sliding off of his barstool and taking a step towards her. “Is it really you?”

“It’s me,” she breathed, tears stinging her eyes. He’d recognized her without any provocation, and that was enough of a confirmation of her identity. 

“Oh my god!” the man exclaimed, pulling her into a tight hug. “You’re alive! Oh my god! Where have you been all this time? And you’re married?! When Sven told me he wanted me to meet his married friends, I never would’ve dreamt that it was going to be you! Oh, Elsa’s going to be so relieved.” 

“This is Anna?” Honeymaren asked, mouth agape. “You’re alive?”

She was overwhelmed with emotion, unable to answer any of their questions and instead choosing to nod.

Olaf finally pulled away from her, but placed his hands on her arms. “We have to take you to see Elsa right now!”

“We can’t go right now,” Honeymaren interjected. “She’s in a somber mood.”

“Her sister is _alive_. This is the news of the century! It cannot wait until tomorrow.”

“It would be smart to wait,” the woman insisted. “I don’t want to overwhelm her. Tomorrow is a new day and she’ll be feeling much better.”

“You don’t know that for certain,” Olaf pointed out. “She often wakes up in a horrible mood.”

“I’ll speak to her before she retires for the night,” Honeymaren said firmly. “The last thing we need is for her to become hysterical.”

“Fine,” Olaf scoffed, before pulling Anna in for another hug. “I really can’t believe it’s you.”

“I’m so happy that I’m here,” she whimpered. She glanced back at Kristoff, who was beaming with pride. “I’m finally home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’d like to disclose that I know very little about _Swan Lake_ and research only took me so far. From what I’ve gathered, there are two possible endings - a tragic one and a happy one - and seeing as the tragic ending is the “original” ending, I decided to go with that.
> 
> Also, I know very little about the view from box seats in a theatre. I have no idea if it's possible to see into other boxes from a specific box, but I referred back to the script for information on this scene and put the characters in the boxes they're in in the show.


	8. Everything to Win

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!!! Happy February!!!! I can’t believe how close I am to finishing this story omg. I still haven’t figured out if it will be 9 or 10 chapters, but either way, it’s almost over ahhh. Thank you to everyone who has read/engaged with this story so far!!!! I hope you all enjoy this chapter!!!!

As Kristoff sat in the hallway of the palace, he couldn’t help but smile to himself. Everything they’d worked so hard for was finally coming to fruition, and the only place they could go from there was up. Anna had been immediately recognized by the Queen’s friends after the ballet, and just a day later, they were in the castle and she was meeting with her older sister.

He couldn’t help but feel giddy. After years of living in the dismal Southern Isles in poverty, he’d be a rich man. He could do whatever he wanted, eat as much as he wanted, go wherever he wanted. And Anna would get everything she hoped for, too - a home, a family, and someone to love her.

And then, his giddiness dissipated. For the first time, he was inundated with the crushing realization that with everything they had to win, the one thing he’d lose was Anna.

She wouldn’t need him anymore; she’d be protected by the palace guards at all times, and she’d be living under the Queen’s roof, where a conman like him certainly wouldn’t be welcome. She would marry a Prince and they would live happily ever after in a castle somewhere. And soon enough, she’d forget all about him.

And sure, he’d have his money and the freedom to do whatever he pleased. But she’d no longer be by his side; there’d be no more dancing or holding her in his arms or comforting her when she had a nightmare. The mere thought of never seeing her again was breaking his heart and he couldn't imagine how he’d feel when she was actually gone. 

He wished he had thought this through more thoroughly. He wished that he realized his feelings sooner, and convinced her to run away with him. Even though he knew, deep down, that this was where she belonged, he selfishly wanted to keep her to himself. In the blink of an eye, their imaginary future was gone. He couldn’t marry her and they would never have children together. Instead, he’d be forced to watch her life from a distance like every other commoner in the kingdom. 

He loved her and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. The one person he loved more than anything wouldn’t be allowed to be part of his life.

Suddenly, the door to the office opened and Anna stepped out. Tears were cascading down her reddened cheeks, her lips tightly pressed together.

He jumped out of his chair. “What happened?”

“She wouldn’t see me,” Anna sniffled, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand. “She doesn’t believe her sister is alive.”

He reached out to pull her into an embrace, but she dodged out of the way. “Anna -”

She ignored him, choosing instead to walk away. He debated whether he should chase his heart and follow her, or if he should attempt to convince the Queen to meet with her. Immediately recognizing the right thing to do, he stepped into the office.

“I’m sorry,” Olaf frowned. “She won’t see her.”

“Do something about it,” Kristoff insisted forcefully. “Her sister is alive. This is what she’s been waiting for.”

“We can’t tell her what to do. She’s the Queen,” Honeymaren answered softly, hanging her head.

“Tell her that I want to speak to her. I can convince her to talk to Anna.”

Olaf frowned. “You can’t. Her mind is made up.”

“So all of the pain and suffering they’ve both endured was just in vain? Elsa gets to mope around this castle for the rest of her life while Anna has to fight to survive on the streets?”

Olaf and Honeymaren exchanged a worried glance. 

“I’ll go talk to her,” Honeymaren said, finally.

A few moments later, the Queen walked through the door, more regal-looking than he ever could’ve imagined. Instead of bowing to her or addressing her by her title, he was overwhelmed with anger and shouted, “How could you do this to her?!”

“Who are you and how dare you address me in such a disrespectful tone?”

“This is Anna’s husband,” Olaf explained hastily.

“I’m not - you know what? It doesn’t matter. How could you do this to Anna? How could you turn your own sister away?” Kristoff seethed. 

“My sister?” Elsa scoffed. “That woman is just after the reward money like every other ‘Anna’ that knocks on the door or sends me a letter.”

“You didn’t even see her,” Kristoff argued. “How do you know it’s not her?”

“Because my sister is dead!” Elsa boomed, slamming the palms of her hands onto the desk. “She died with my parents, three years ago.”

“But she didn’t,” he explained. “She was in the Southern Isles. She lost her memory and spent some time in the hospital before living on the streets. She came to me because a voice told her she needed to be in Arendelle and a few nights ago, she remembered the parade your family threw for her eighth birthday.”

Elsa pursed her lips. “How dare you?”

“I’m telling the truth!” he insisted, before pointing at Olaf. “He met her last night and recognized her instantly. Ask him.”

The Queen shot Olaf an icy look. Olaf nodded. “It’s true, Elsa. He’s telling the truth.”

“Why didn’t you say anything sooner?”

“We tried,” Olaf said gently. “You wouldn’t listen. You became hysterical.”

She fell backwards onto the chair by her desk, her expression pained as Honeymaren and Olaf rushed to her side. “My sister is alive?” she whispered. “It isn’t a dream?”

Deciding he didn’t want to stick around and watch the Queen’s meltdown, he granted himself the liberty of grabbing a piece of paper and a pen off of her desk. On it, he scribbled down the name of the hotel they were staying at and Anna’s room number before shoving it in their direction. “That’s where she’s staying.”

He didn’t wait for them to answer, choosing to march out of the office and down the hall, eager to get back to the hotel and talk to Anna. There were so many things he wanted to say to her. He wanted to tell her that he spoke with her sister, and assure her that things would get better. Most of all, he wanted to tell her that he loved her and nothing could change that, even if they couldn’t be together.

Unfortunately, the scene at the hotel was quite different than he imagined it would be. 

Sven was in the room with Anna as she hurried around, gathering her belongings and rambling on. Kristoff stared for a moment from the doorway, eavesdropping on their conversation.

“All of that and she wouldn’t even meet with me!” she exclaimed, tossing her suitcase onto the bed. “I can’t believe that I let the two of you trick me into thinking that she would want to see me after all this time.”

“Please, calm down,” Sven begged.

“How am I supposed to be calm when the only reason I’m _really_ here is for your stupid scheme that didn’t even work? I wish we’d never met - and I mean it this time.”

“Where are you planning to go?” Kristoff asked, startling her. It was clear by the look on her face that she hadn’t realized he was standing there, listening to their conversation. Still, her mood remained unchanged.

“As far away from you as possible. Wherever my _fake_ papers and _fake_ name will take me.”

“You’re being rash,” Sven insisted. “Sleep on it. You can always go in the morning if you’re still set on leaving.”

“I’m not going to change my mind. I may not know a lot of things, but I know that I can’t bear to be around the two of you any longer.” 

“You don’t really mean that.”

“You don’t get to tell me how to feel. After all the damage you’ve caused, you do _not_ get to tell me how to feel.”

Sven looked to Kristoff for assistance with pleading eyes. He cleared his throat. “What are you talking about?”

“You made me believe that I was someone I’m not. I can’t possibly be the Princess and I can’t believe you let me run with that...fantasy!”

“You _are_ the Princess,” he said gently as Sven slipped out of the room and closed the door behind him. “You remembered seeing me from the carriage at the parade. You remembered that I bowed to you, and I didn’t tell you that. That isn’t something you would make up in your head.”

“I also hear voices, so maybe I really am _that_ crazy.”

“You’re not crazy. You’re her and you know it. Just because the Queen wouldn’t listen doesn’t mean it’s not true.”

“Stop. Can’t you see that you’ve done enough damage?”

“Anna, please,” he begged. “We need to talk. I need to tell you something.”

“No,” she cried, shaking her head. “I never want to see you again, Kristoff.”

She said it so irrevocably, so scornfully, that she _had_ to mean it. His heart shattered as the words echoed in his head repeatedly, _I never want to see you again, Kristoff_. She didn’t love him back, like he hoped she did. She wanted him to leave. His world was crashing and burning before his eyes and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He knew whatever was between them had to end, but he hadn't imagined it would end this way.

They both stood there in silence for an uncomfortable amount of time, the only sounds enveloping the space were Anna’s sobs and gasps for air as she stared at him through bleary eyes. He fought the instinct to pull her into his arms, and stroke her hair, and assure her that everything would be okay because in that moment, he didn’t know that everything would be okay. He didn’t even know if he would be okay.

He finally gave her a small nod, his voice gravelly as he said, “I’ll leave.”

With unsteady legs, he turned his back to the best thing he never truly had and slowly approached the door that adjoined their rooms, hoping that she’d call out to him. When she didn’t, he closed the door behind him and sank to the floor in front of it as black spots clouded his vision and his breathing grew heavy. His stomach rolled as he fought back tears, his mind racing uncontrollably. 

“What happened?” Sven asked.

“She doesn’t want to see me again.”

“She doesn’t mean it,” Sven assured him. “Give her some time to cool off.”

“I was going to tell her that I love her,” he whispered, finally daring to look up at the other man. 

“She loves you, too. Anyone with eyes can see it. She’s angry right now and she needs a little space from you, that’s all.”

He shook his head. “Sven, I have to leave. I can’t stay, not when she doesn’t want me to be here.”

“If you leave, you’re going to regret it,” Sven remarked. “You’ll never know what was meant to be if you go now. But if you stay and she comes to her senses…”

He pushed himself off of the floor, and grabbed his suitcase from where it rested next to the couch. “Her mind is made up.”

Sven drew his eyebrows together. “Where will you go?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t figured it out yet.”

“I don’t want you to leave, you know.”

“I know,” Kristoff sighed. “But we’ll find our way back to each other. We always do.”

Sven nodded slowly, watching as Kristoff approached the door that led to the hallway. Just as Kristoff reached for the doorknob, he asked, “What about Hans?”

He turned around, shoulders slumped in defeat as he repeated the other man’s question. “What about Hans?”

“He’s still out there,” Sven pointed out. “He’s looking for her and you won’t be here if he finds her.”

“What could I really do, anyway? She said it herself, I’m no match for a gun.”

Sven shook his head. “I thought you were better than this, Kristoff. I really did.”

“What do you want me to do?” Kristoff demanded exasperatedly. “I can’t force myself into her life. I can’t stay if she doesn’t want me.”

“Put the suitcase down,” Sven instructed. “You’re not thinking clearly. Let’s go for a long walk. If you haven’t changed your mind by the time we get back, then you can go and I won’t stop you.”

“Fine,” he agreed, dropping the suitcase on the floor. “Let’s go.”

* * *

Anna laid on the bed, her knees drawn up to her chest as she quietly sobbed. She felt more alone now than she had at any point in the past three years; her sister had rejected her and she pushed Kristoff away. He would’ve stayed if she let him - she knew that - but she couldn’t bear to look at him. Deep down, she knew that none of this was really his fault. 

She also knew it was wrong for her to tell him she never wanted to see him again. Not only was it untrue, but it was also insensitive. She wished, more than anything, that he stayed like he always did; that he’d taken her in his arms, and comforted her, and reminded her that everything was going to be okay. She knew she would’ve fought it at first, but it was hard to stay away from him and in no time at all, she would’ve given in. She knew this now. 

Instead, he chose to walk away. She couldn’t blame him or hold it against him, as he was just doing what he was told. But she hoped that he wouldn’t listen to her and _actually_ leave for good. She hoped that he’d come back so she could apologize and beg for his forgiveness. She _needed_ him in her life, more than she needed anyone else, and she’d never forgive herself if he left for good. 

A knock on the door disrupted her train of thought and she weakly stood up. With a sigh, she pulled it open and found her sister standing there.

She blinked, taking in the appearance of the other woman before stepping out of the way and allowing her to enter the room. For a long time, the sisters stared at each other, unsure of what to say.

“So it is you,” Elsa said finally, her voice cracking and face twitching.

Anna exhaled, and gave a small nod. “It’s me.”

“H-how?” Elsa asked, dabbing at her eyes with the back of her finger. “I was told that you were presumed to be dead. Or missing. The guards searched for years but no one could find you. I don’t understand.”

“I don’t know.” She hung her head. “My memory isn’t great. I’ve only just begun to remember bits and pieces of the past.”

Elsa sniffled. “Like what?”

“The parade,” Anna answered. “And you. I recognized you at the ballet last night.”

“You did?”

Anna nodded. “Of course.”

“But where were you all this time?”

“The Southern Isles. I slept in the woods and swept the streets during the day to make some money.”

“How did you know where to find me?”

“I didn’t know I was looking for you,” she confessed. “There was a voice in my head. It said, ‘I’ll meet you back here in Arendelle.’ And I just knew that I had to come here and find out who the voice belonged to.”

Elsa choked out a sob and raised her hands to cover her face. “I said that to you. Before you left on your journey with our parents.”

“You did?”

“I did,” Elsa confirmed. “Letting you leave with them that day is my biggest regret. You wanted to stay so badly and I convinced you to go.”

“You didn’t know what was going to happen,” Anna assured her. “It isn’t your fault.”

“I know, but I wish I insisted that you stay. Losing our parents was difficult enough, but losing you was so much harder,” Elsa sniffled. 

“Elsa -”

“You’re not planning to leave, are you?”

“What? Why would I leave?”

“Because you have a life that I’m not part of,” Elsa answered. “But I want you to come back to the castle with me. To stay. ”

“Really?”

“I never want to lose you again,” Elsa said. “I want you to be part of my life.”

“I want you in my life, too,” Anna confirmed, rushing towards her sister and pulling her into an embrace. 

“I’ve always dreamt about our reunion.”

“You have?”

Elsa nodded against her shoulder. “I kept dreaming and hoping that you were out there somewhere and that you would come home to me. I tried to convince myself that you being alive was a fantasy that I had to rid myself of. That it wasn’t possible. That if I grieved your death properly, then I would move on. But I never moved on and now you’re standing here in my arms, where you belong.”

She pulled away to look her sister in the eye, her lips quivering. “Oh, Elsa.”

“Pack your things,” Elsa said, suddenly. “I’d like to take you home straight away. You ought to fetch your husband, too, so he can come along.”

She blushed, wondering how Elsa had found out about Kristoff. “Oh, he’s not...we’re not legally married.”

Elsa raised a questioning brow. “...so your marriage is illegitimate?”

“No!” Anna assured her. “The papers were fabricated so I could travel here with him and our friend. There’s nothing between us. He doesn’t care for me like that.”

“You’re quite sure about that?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

Elsa shrugged. “He went to extreme lengths to convince me to meet with you. I thought it was fairly obvious that you’re the object of his affections.”

Her heart skipped a beat and her breathing stilled as she contemplated what Elsa had just told her. “Kristoff...loves me?”

She knew that she had strong feelings for Kristoff, but she never imagined that he felt the same way. Suddenly, it was all starting to make sense. If he didn’t love her, he wouldn’t have taken such good care of her all the time. He wouldn’t have held her while she cried, he wouldn’t have kept her safe from Hans, and he certainly wouldn’t have stayed with her while she slept. _Of course he loved her_. 

“I don’t think I’m qualified to answer that question. Perhaps you should speak to him about this.”

“You’re right,” she breathed, though a moment later she was overwhelmed with the crippling realization that, in her anger, she pushed him away and told him she never wanted to see him again. She buried her face in her hands. “Oh, I’ve ruined everything. What am I going to do?”

“I’m afraid that I don’t understand.”

“I got mad at him for no good reason and told him I never wanted to see him again. But I do want to see him again! I’m in love with him,” she whimpered. “He’s so wonderful, and he takes care of me, and I love him. How could I be so stupid?”

“Do you know where he went?” Elsa asked, taking her by the hands.

She struggled to fight back tears. “I think he’s in his room, but he could be gone by now.”

“Find him,” Elsa instructed. “I want you to bring him with you when you come home later. I’d like to thank him for convincing me to meet with you and for being there for you when I wasn’t.”

“Thank you, Elsa,” Anna said, pulling her sister into a hug. 

“No need to thank me. I’m just so elated that you’re home.”

When they pulled away from each other once again, Anna walked her sister to the door. After a lengthy and unnecessary goodbye with Elsa, she took a deep breath and knocked on the door that separated her room from Sven’s. When no one answered, she twisted the knob and stepped inside.

“Kristoff? Sven?” she called, looking around the small room. It was evident that neither of them were there, but her heart sank upon seeing a suitcase sitting by the door. She didn’t know which of the two men it belonged to, but she entertained the idea of peeking inside of it and finding out. She hoped with all of her might that it wasn’t Kristoff’s suitcase and that he wasn’t _actually_ planning on leaving. She had to tell him that she was in love with him. She had to tell him that she was sorry for everything she'd said. 

As she inspected the outside of the suitcase, the doorknob started to jostle and in her excitement, she flung it open. 

“Kristoff, I’m so -” she started, her face falling when she realized that Kristoff wasn’t the person behind the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so, so sorry. But I promise this story isn't over yet!!! I'm only capable of writing happy endings, so I hope that you'll come back to find out what happens next week ;)


	9. Still

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!!!!! We’ve finally made it to the end of this story, and I just wanted to thank you all for the love and support you’ve all given me!!!!! Every hit, comment, kudos, reblog, and like has truly meant the world to me!!!! This is the first multi-chapter fic that I’ve finished in 9 years and I really don’t think I could’ve done it without all of your love and support!!!!!
> 
> Just as a minor warning, this chapter features a confrontation/threatening situation, but it’s not graphic or violent (no one is injured, but there are mentions of guns, death/murder, and hostility). If you are sensitive to any of these topics, i would recommend skipping the first half of this chapter at the very least (or just reading the epilogue at the very bottom). I added the non-graphic violence tag on AO3 as a precaution. The last thing that I want is for anyone to feel uncomfortable, so please don’t hesitate to reach out you feel I tagged/warned about this inappropriately.
> 
> ***Also, I just wanted to bring attention to the fact that the amazing [justfrozenthings on tumblr](https://justfrozenthings.tumblr.com/) drew beautiful fanart of [Anna wearing Anya’s dress from the movie version of Anastasia](https://justfrozenthings.tumblr.com/post/642045312257622016/decided-to-do-an-art-piece-for-thecassadillas)!!!!!!! Please check out the links to her beautiful artwork and her awesome blog!!!!! Thank you so much for drawing this, friend!!!!! I’m so honored that you decided to devote your time and energy to drawing such a lovely piece of art based on something I wrote. It truly means the world to me <33333***

“Hans,” Anna breathed, her heart rate accelerating as she stared at the man in front of her in horror. Her first instinct was to slam the door in his face and hide, but before she could, he forced his way into the room and closed the door behind him.

“I thought I’d find you here,” he said sinisterly, a sly grin encompassing his face.

“H-how did you f-find me?” she stammered.

He leaned in close, his breath hot on her face as he whispered, “You’re not very good at hiding.”

“What do you want?” She began to shake uncontrollably, a lump forming in her throat and her mouth drying out as she stared at the man. 

“You think you’re clever, hmm? You thought you could get away from me?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I think you do.” He inched closer to her and in response, she took a small step back. “You thought I wouldn’t find you if you ran away to Arendelle.”

“That’s not true.”

“So, why are you here? We discussed this, Anna. I told you the consequences would be fatal if you didn’t listen to me.”

“I’m not Anna,” she blurted, continuing to back away from him. Soon, she’d be pressed against the wall at the rear of the bedroom and there would be no escaping him. “I’m Joan.”

He raised a hand to her face and she flinched, but the appendage never made contact with her. “We both know that’s a lie. You really enjoy lying, huh?”

She shook her head vigorously. “No.”

“Good, because you’re a very unconvincing liar,” he said as his eyes narrowed.

“What do you want?” she repeated. 

“I think you know what I want. I’m here to take you home.”

“B-but this is my home.” She finally collided with the wall, and her heart sank. She was trapped and there was no way to escape.

“Silly girl,” he said, clicking his tongue. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way.”

“What do you mean?”

“Either you can come back with me to the Southern Isles - where you belong.” He pulled a handgun out of his jacket, pausing for a moment to inspect the way that the light bounced off of it before pointing it at her. “ _Or_ I could kill you right here, right now. That’d be a pretty sight for your _husband_ to come back to, wouldn’t it?”

She winced. “Don’t bring him into this.”

He tilted his head to the side. “How come?”

“He has nothing to do with this,” she explained frantically. “Just...please leave him out of it.”

“You’re quite foolish, aren’t you? Do you not realize what he’s doing to you?”

“He hasn’t done anything wrong.”

“Your marriage is a sham, Anna. That bastard doesn’t love you,” he hissed. “He tricked you so he could steal your virtue. You’re worthless to him.”

“That’s not true,” she cried, shaking her head. She knew that Kristoff loved her; he hadn’t taken advantage of her, or hurt her, or done anything bad to her at all. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

“I think I do.” He stepped even closer, invading her personal space. “I think killing you would be a fair punishment for both of you. You die for disobeying me and he gets to discover your lifeless body.”

“Please don’t hurt me,” she begged, tears forming in her eyes and threatening to spill over at any second. “I don’t want to die.”

“Oh, Anna,” he chuckled, reaching his hand out so he could tilt her face towards him. “You think I care what you want?”

Before she could respond, she was alerted to the sound of the lock turning in the door. Hans sprang into action; he pulled her away from the wall, wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and held her body firmly against his. He pressed the gun to her temple. When the cool metal came into contact with her skin, she shuddered; she didn’t want to die. Not like this. Not in front of Kristoff.

She could distinctly hear voices as the door pushed open and it took all of her might to not collapse into a heap on the floor. Her knees shook as she squeezed her eyes closed, and when she finally dared to open them, Kristoff was standing in the entryway of the room. Though she swore she heard Sven’s voice as well, the man was nowhere to be found. 

“Kristoff,” she sniffled, her voice barely above a whisper. He shifted in place, debating what to do before rushing towards her. 

Hans pulled the gun away from her head and pointed it at Kristoff, who halted. “Don’t move!”

Kristoff raised both of his hands up in surrender. “Anna, are you okay?”

She weakly shook her head. “No.”

“Stop talking!” Hans boomed, shaking the gun violently between them in the process. “Or I’ll kill both of you!”

“Don’t kill him,” Anna sobbed. “Please don’t kill him. Kill me instead.”

“Nobody has to die,” Kristoff said gently, slowly inching towards them. “Nobody.”

“Stop moving,” Hans snarled. 

Kristoff froze in place once again. “Okay, I’m not moving anymore.”

As tears rolled down Anna’s cheeks and she trembled in fear, the memory of the worst night of her life resurfaced in her mind. She was in a hotel room just like this one. With her parents. There was a knock on the door and when her father answered, a group of men burst inside. She cowered behind the bed as the window next to her shattered and her mother’s blood-curdling screams echoed throughout the room. Fearing for her life, she escaped out the window. 

This memory was the setting of the nightmares she endured. The flashing, and the yelling, and the loud noises - it made so much sense now. She was reliving that horrible day over and over again nearly every time she slipped into unconsciousness. 

She tuned out the two men, who had started an argument as another piece of her memory appeared; the memory of why her family had gone to the Southern Isles to begin with. They were there to initiate a betrothal between herself and the youngest Prince. Prince Hans.

But the negotiations fell through. Her parents decided that she was too young for marriage and pulled out of their end of the deal. This had obviously left a bad taste in the mouth of the King, who was responsible for their deaths. She remembered seeing red hair atop the heads of the men who had entered the room, and knew exactly why Hans wouldn't leave her alone now; he was jealous. If he couldn’t have her for himself, he didn’t want anyone to have her. He wanted Kristoff to suffer and agonize over her death. Most of all, he wanted to finish the mission that his father started. 

Determined to save Kristoff’s life, but risk her own in the process, she decided to challenge Hans.

“Please don’t kill him,” she begged. “You don’t want to kill him. You want to kill me. Just like your father killed my parents.”

Hans tightened his grip on her. “What did you say?”

“You want to be your father’s son. You want to finish the job,” she accused. “You want to prove your worth to him.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” he scoffed.

“I remember that day, Hans,” she said, barely able to maintain her composure. “My parents and I came to the Southern Isles to negotiate our marriage. The plans fell through and your father killed them in cold blood, but I got away.”

“You’re bluffing.”

“The sounds of gunshots, and glass shattering, and my mothers’ screams have plagued my dreams for the last three years. Is that what you want? Do you want to suffer in the same way that I have suffered? Do you desire to hear my screams over and over again in your mind every time you close your eyes?”

“I -”

“Or do you desire to make Kristoff suffer? Hmm?” she taunted. “You fail to realize that Kristoff is a much stronger man than you. If you kill me, you _will_ suffer.”

“Shut up,” he warned.

“Kill me,” she provoked. “Prove that you can finish the job. Make your father proud.”

Finally, he let go of her and she fought the urge to rush into Kristoff’s arms. The next few minutes passed by in a blur as black spots filled her vision and her hearing became fuzzy. Sven returned to the room with guards from the palace and she watched silently as Hans was apprehended and escorted away to be punished as the Queen deemed fit. 

When she finally regained control of her senses, she looked up at Kristoff, who had moved to stand beside her. Unable to hold back any longer, she broke down in tears. “Kristoff, I’m so sorry.”

He opened his arms and she rushed into them, burying her face in his chest. “What are you sorry for?”

“Everything,” she sobbed. “For Hans -”

“Hey,” he said, gently rubbing circles on her back. “You don’t have to apologize for what happened with Hans. That wasn’t your fault. But you are _so_ strong and _so_ brave - you stood up to him and we’re both alive because of you.”

This revelation caused her to cry harder, and in response, he tightened his grip on her. He held her for a long time, stroking her hair and promising her that everything would be okay. When she finally calmed down enough to speak again, she pulled away so she could look up at him. 

“I pushed you away and told you I never wanted to see you again,” she sniffled. “I didn’t mean it. I promise, I didn’t mean it.”

“It’s okay,” he assured her. “I know you didn’t mean it.”

“It’s not okay. It was cruel of me to say that to you. You’re such a wonderful man and you don’t deserve to be treated that poorly by anyone.”

“You were upset. I should’ve given you the space you needed to calm down.”

“There’s no excuse for what I said and I’ll never forgive myself for the way I treated you.” She exhaled shakily. “I’m so sorry, Kristoff.”

“I forgive you. But you have to forgive yourself, too. You can’t live with this guilt.”

“I deserve to. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me and I almost lost you because I was angry at my sister.” 

He smiled. “I’m the best thing that’s ever happened to you?”

She nodded. “I love you, Kristoff. And I want to be with you forever if you’ll have me.”

“Anna,” he whispered, reaching up to her cheek to brush away a stray tear. “I love you, too.”

“You do?”

“More than anything,” he promised. “But we can’t be together.”

“Why?” she asked, her voice cracking. 

“Because you’re a Princess,” he explained, his lips curling into a sad smile. “You’re going to move into the castle, and live with your sister. I won’t be able to come with you, but you’ll be safe. You won’t need me anymore.”

“What do you mean? Of course I need you! I need you more than I need anyone else. You keep me safe.”

He sighed. “Hans is gone forever and you’ll be safe in the castle. There will be plenty of guards around to make sure nothing bad happens to you.”

“Who’s going to comfort me when I have a nightmare or hold me when I cry if you don’t come with me?” she asked, her lip quivering.

“You’ll have your sister, and Olaf, and Honeymaren. They’ll take really good care of you, I promise.”

“But I want you.”

“I know,” he said, taking her hands in his own. “But someday, you’re going to marry a Prince and you’ll live happily ever after. There’s no room for a conman like me in your life.”

“You’re my Prince, Kristoff,” she insisted.

He shook his head softly. “I’m not your Prince.”

“Well, Princess Anna of Arendelle would care to disagree.”

She rose up on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down towards her before firmly pressing her lips to his. He tangled one hand in her hair and wrapped the other around her waist. Her heart pounded in her ears as she melted into his touch, taking note of how warm and inviting his lips felt against hers and how intoxicatingly good he smelled. 

When they finally broke apart, breathless and flustered, she looked up at him and smiled. “You were saying?”

“I was saying…” he trailed off, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. “That even though I love you more than anything, the best thing I can do for you is let you go.”

“That’s not true.”

“Anna, if I let you go, you’ll finally have everything you said you wanted,” he said softly. “You’ll have your family, and your home, and people who love you.”

“I have all of those things with you, Kristoff. You’re my home. You love me. We can have our own family.” She cupped his jaw with her hands, caressing his cheeks with her thumbs. 

“We can’t raise children on the streets,” he said. “I can’t bring a child into this world knowing that they’ll be cursed with a life on the streets.”

“Who said anything about the streets?” she laughed. “We can raise them in the castle.”

“Anna, your sister and your people will never accept a conman as the husband of the Princess.”

“My sister made it very clear that she wanted me to bring you back to the castle so she could personally thank you for everything you’ve done.”

“You spoke to her?” He raised an eyebrow. 

Anna nodded. “She came to my room after you left and told me that you convinced her to see me.”

“Oh.” He blinked. “But why does she want to thank me?”

“Because you convinced her to speak with me and because you kept me safe when no one else could,” she said. “She knows you love me. And she knows I love you, too.”

“She does?”

“She does,” Anna confirmed. “I don’t know why you believe that she would forbid us from being together. Or that anyone would forbid us from being together.”

“It was something I thought of earlier today when I was in the hallway waiting for you to come out of her office,” he frowned. “All along, I _thought_ I was in it for the money, but as I was sitting there, I realized that I was really in it for _you_.”

“Really?”

He nodded. “But Princesses and conmen don’t usually run in the same circles and I figured that I was going to lose you. So I spoke to the Queen and told her where you were staying because even though losing you would hurt me, I knew being reunited with your sister was what was best for you.”

“So that’s why you were so certain that I would be going to live in the castle,” she responded. “And why you tried to convince me that we couldn’t be together.”

“Yeah,” he sighed, running a hand through his hair.

“If my sister makes me choose between you and her, then I choose you,” she said firmly. “She won’t, though.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because she wants me home so badly that she’ll do whatever it takes to make me happy,” she smiled, taking his hand in hers. “And you make me happy. Come on, we should go talk to her.”

“Alright,” he agreed.

“Where’s Sven?” she asked once they exited the room. “I just realized he hasn’t been with us this entire time.”

“I think he went back with the guards. He said something about wanting to make sure that Hans was locked up.”

“He’s a really good person,” Anna commented. “If it weren’t for him, who knows what would’ve happened.”

“We’d probably still be trapped in the Southern Isles,” Kristoff added. “He made sure this entire plan went off without a hitch.”

“Remind me to thank him someday.”

They walked hand-in-hand all the way to the castle, chatting and giggling as they went along. When they finally arrived, they were led directly to Elsa’s office, where she sat at her desk. Olaf and Honeymaren stood on either side of her, and all three of them smiled at the couple when they entered the room.

“Your Majesty,” Kristoff said, bowing to her. 

Elsa rose from her desk, extending her hand out to him when he stood up again. He delicately shook it. “I owe you an apology, sir. I was unnecessarily harsh towards you earlier today, and I sincerely hope that you’ll forgive me for my outburst.”

He nodded. “I accept your apology. If I was in your shoes, I imagine I’d react similarly.”

Elsa smiled. “I have to thank you for convincing me to speak to Anna. If you hadn’t interfered and insisted that I meet with her, I may have never been reunited with my sister. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“I also have to thank you for making sure my sister returned home safely. You made sure that she was cared for when I couldn’t, and I cannot fully express how gracious I am for that.”

“Of course.”

“I do believe that a reward is in the cards for you, sir.”

Kristoff cleared his throat. “Just knowing that Anna made it home to you is enough of a reward for me. I’d prefer if you gave the reward to my associate, Sven, instead. He was equally as involved and he made sure that Hans would make it back here today.”

“Your friend will be duly rewarded for his efforts as well,” Elsa assured him. 

He raised an eyebrow. “As well?”

“You each get a reward. You both played a hand in bringing my sister home and therefore, you both deserve a reward.” She clasped her hands together. “In addition to Sven’s monetary reward, I’ve also offered him a position with the Royal Guard. A stoic, brave, intelligent man such as himself would fit in nicely in that line of work.”

Anna glanced up at Kristoff, who was beaming at the thought of his friend landing a job in such a coveted role. Grinning from ear to ear, Anna asked, “And Kristoff?”

“I think the only suitable position for Kristoff would be by your side, of course,” Elsa announced. “If you’re okay with that, Kristoff.”

“I can stay?” he asked, eyes widening. “I can be with Anna?”

“I can’t imagine that there is a more perfect partner for my sister,” Elsa smiled, glancing back at Honeymaren. “We have no control over who we love. I cannot pass judgment on a man as wonderful as yourself based solely on your past. You may not be a Prince by birth, but you certainly have the characteristics that one would imagine a Prince would possess.”

“I...thank you, Your Majesty.”

“You’re welcome. Now, go on!” she laughed. “You ought to go pack up your belongings so you can get situated here before night falls.”

“We can move in today?” Anna asked.

“Of course! I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Come on, Kristoff!” Anna exclaimed, grabbing him by the hand and pulling him out of the office and down the hallway. She finally slowed down once they reached the courtyard directly outside of the castle, where she turned to look up at him. “I told you she would accept you.”

“This is the second best day of my life,” he crooned, smiling widely.

“What was the first?”

“The day I met you.”

To her delight, he wrapped his hands around her waist, lifted her off the ground, and twirled her around. As soon as her feet were firmly on the floor, she slithered her hands into his hair as her lips fervently collided with his. Her knees went weak as his hand slowly traveled down her spine, landing at the small of her back. Time stopped and the world around her blurred as she lost the ability to focus on anything but on the warmth of his skin against hers and the way he made her heart flutter. 

“My Prince,” she whispered breathlessly once they pulled away, leaning her forehead against his.

“My Princess.”

“Our real life fairy tale.”

“Conman and Princess,” he chuckled, gently squeezing her hand. “Who would’ve thought?”

* * *

One month later, they stood atop the courtyard-facing balcony, waving at the crowd of thousands below them who gathered to celebrate Anna’s return to Arendelle. 

Anna surveyed the people surrounding her. Olaf was standing to her far right, excitedly waving and blowing kisses at the people beneath them. Next to him stood Honeymaren, whose fingers were interlaced with Elsa’s, her lips puckered in a small smile. Elsa stood directly to Anna’s right, regal as ever and completely at ease. Sven stood proudly to her far left, donning his new Royal Guard uniform and grinning brightly. And of course, Kristoff was directly beside her, their arms wrapped around each others’ waists in a tight embrace. 

When the other retreated inside a little while later, Anna insisted that Kristoff stay outside with her for just a bit longer. 

“Do you know what this reminds me of?” she asked.

He shook his head. “What?”

“The parade,” she smiled. “Only this time, we’re together.”

“You’re right,” he chuckled. “It’s just like the parade, but better.”

“Even if we weren’t together and you were down there somewhere, I’d be looking for you,” she said, squeezing him a little tighter. “In a crowd of thousands, I’d find you again.”

“I’d find you too,” he promised, pressing a tender kiss to her temple. “I’d always find you.”

Unable to contain her happiness, she pulled him into a hug, causing the crowd beneath them to burst into a fit of cheers and applause. 

“And to think, you thought the people of Arendelle wouldn’t like you,” she giggled. “I think they love you.”

He grinned. “I think they love you more. Their Princess has finally returned, safe and sound.”

“Only because of the hard work of two former conmen who sought to use her for their own monetary gain,” she teased. “We should probably go inside now. It’s nearly supper time.”

He nodded, locking his fingers with hers. They waved at the jovial crowd one last time before heading inside. 

“Will you tell me a story when we go to bed tonight?” Anna asked with expectant eyes, pausing once the doors behind them had been closed. “You tell the best stories, you know.”

“Of course,” Kristoff agreed, a blush creeping over his cheeks. “Did you have a specific one in mind?”

“I want to hear the one about the Princess and the conman.”

He nodded slowly, trying and failing to hide his smile. “I think I can manage that.”

“Good,” she beamed. “After all, it is my favorite fairytale.”

“It’s my favorite fairytale, too.”

With that, they continued down the hall, fingers weaved together and smiles bright at the thought of their incredible story and the promise of a happy forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, thank you all for the love and support you've shown me with this fic!!!!! It truly means the world to me, and I am so grateful for each and every one of you <333333


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